Metamorphosis of a Vampire
by Torrus
Summary: Something has infiltrated the moon dorms of the Cross Academy, and it's not human. The only problem is, it isn't vampire either. A little of the romance and supernatural with a twist of mystery! Kain X OC Kiku
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Knight

**Chapter 1**

by: Torrus

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><p>It started out as a bug, simply scuttling along the cracks and holes in the corners of the dark hallway, making it's way quickly along. The beetle, however, had a change of heart about it's form at the appearance of a few hungry spiders whose homes were made in the crevices of the walls, and after an occasional close in counter with a deathly boot or heal. The bug stopped a moment to check it's surroundings, feeling everything nearby with it's antennas. In only a moment, the bug morphed into a dusty grey rat. With a small squeak the rat continued on the path it had before when it was an insect, scurrying down the elegant winding hallways and corridors, passing room by room on its way. It was on a mission, one that couldn't be interrupted at any time for very long.<p>

It was closer now to where it needed to be. So close! It was pleased by it's progress so far, especially with it's clever change. The foyer became darker as the seconds passed, the tall stained-glass windows becoming more and more eerie as the setting sun illuminated the dusky hallways with pale golds and reds. Soon moonlight was streaming in, casting long shadows across the pale tiled floors. The pace became tiring for the rat, feeling it was getting no where fast. The rodent paused again change into something faster. As it moved to shift it heard a sudden shuffling behind the door to it's right. The rat froze, listening for any other noises emanating from behind the white door. Seconds pasted with nothing but silence. Finally it quirked its ear to the side as if to hear better before moving on. When it still heard nothing it started off again but was cut off by a whoosh as the door swung open.

A man, or rather a teenager, stepped into the dimly lit doorway. His fangs glinted in the moonlight as he let out a big yawn, his hand running through his hair. With glazed eyes he scanned the hallway, turning his head slowly from left to right. "I don't see anyone," he said to the hallway. "You sure?" asked a voice from inside the room. "I'm sure," the vampire yawned again before taking a second quick sweep of the foyer and wiping the sleep from his eyes. He turned to step back inside, his hand on the door knob when he halted. The rat had moved slightly closer to the wall to avoid attention, but instead had caused the man to hesitate. The cur held still, wondering how the vampire could hear so small a movement. It waited for him to shut his door and return to bed. The sleepy teen took one last glance down both ends of the hallway, then slowly looked up, checking where the walls and ceiling met. The rat stared at the man's bare feet, concentrating on making it's breathing still, as if to seem invisible in the shadows of the walls. Now barely more alert than before, the teen dropped his gaze to the floors and shadows. He stared at the rat a moment, not really seeing it at first. The rat closed its eyes, hoping that without the gleam from its beady eyes it wouldn't be noticed.

A moment passed. And another. Finally the rodent peeked up at the vampire. The vampire stared back then shook his head. This time when he looked at the rodent, he looked at it with clearer eyes. "Since when did we get rats here?" he asked himself, his brow furrowed. He bent down and reached for the rat, but the rat's instinct kicked in and it dodged the vampire's hand, running directly under his legs instead. The vampire stomped his foot down on the rat's tail on an impulse, causing the rat to squeal in pain. The vampire snatched the panicked rat up and spun on his heel into his room. The latter, in a frenzy, quickly morphed into the first thing it could think of. The vampire yelped at the transformation, dropping the large owl as it clumsily batted its large wings, trying in vain to take flight.

"Get it Aido!" the vampire yelled at his stunned roommate, who was sitting up in bed half tangled in blankets. Aido shook his head, wiping the goofy expression off of his face and jumped out of bed, falling flat on his face in the process. The vampire shut and locked the door at the last minute, to help prevent the creature's escape. Aido managed to untangle himself and get to his feet while the owl was rethinking its idea as it crashed into the walls and ceilings, not yet used to its size. Everything was happening so fast, with walls and floors and furniture blending into each other in the owl's hysteria.

"I could use some help here Kain!" Aido practically yelled at his roommate. "I got it! I got it!" Kain yelled back annoyed. His brows wrinkled and his lips pressed together into a flat line as he jumped onto a chair in an attempt to grab the owl. He teetered on the edge of the chair, keeping his eye on the flailing bird. Then he pounced. Kain grabbed the brown creature and fell to the floor. The owl screeched, feeling helpless while Kain held it tight against his chest as he rolled to a stop on the floor. In a final desperate try to escape, the owl shifted once more. Feeling the change, Kain looked to his captive and dropped it immediately. The creature that had been an owl only a second before turned to face the two vampires. It glared through it's black eyes at the two vampires standing in front of it, panting and unsure of what to do in the confusion of it all.

The skunk was frightened, it had never shifted more than three times before and it didn't know how long it would last now. As a last resort it made a mad dash for the door, forgetting it couldn't open it in its current state. It let out a whimper and franticly scratched at the door when it couldn't get through, desperate for freedom. The vampires slowly made their way to it, carefully trying to avoid being sprayed. The skunk let out a cry as it's body began to shake and bubble. Startled, the vampires wavered, not daring to move. The cry escalated into screaming sobs as porcelain flesh pushed it's way through the fur, which in turn retracted at every convulsion. Golden hair sprouted from the contorted head, twisting with deep reds and browns. Its limbs elongated and took on a humanoid shape and the fur retreated until it was only soft peach fuzz along its shaking body. Eventually the screaming reduced to gentle weeping, becoming hardly audible except for the uncontrollable sniffles.

Both vampires stood in shock at the naked girl as she curled into a fetal position, her face covered with the tangled locks of her hair. "You ruined my mission! Ruined it!" she adruptly wailed, choking on her tears. Kain finally moved, brought out of his paralysis by her strange words. After he thought for a moment, he crossed the room in a few staccato strides to a dresser in the corner and pulled out a long T-shirt he wore on lazy weekend nights. It wouldn't do him any good trying to move her when she was naked and scared, he assumed. He returned to the girl with Aido-still trying to grasp the situation-standing next to her. Kain leaned down hesitantly, trying not to startle her anymore than he already had. Slowly, he stretched his arm out keeping his eyes locked on her face as he reached for her arm. He placed his hand on her arm softly at first, and when she didn't flinch he curled his fingers around her flesh so he could gently pull her up into a sitting position.

She didn't resist the pull, but instead hung limp in his grasp, her head nodding side to side as it faced the ground. Kain watched the tears slowly stream down her pink cheeks, making him stall. "Put this on please," he whispered, trying very hard to focus on her face and not her nude body. When she didn't make a move, he slipped the shirt over her head himself, pulling it down over her body and tried to slip her arms through the sleeves. When he was done, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and leaned against the wall across from her. Noticing the silver streams still gliding down her face, Kain leaned over again and gingerly brushed his finger against her cheek, feeling her stiffen at his touch this time. "What are we going to do with her?" Aido asked in a hushed tone as Kain pulled away. "Take her to the headmaster I would thi-" he stopped short.

The girl had lifted her head, her eyes catching Kain's. He suddenly couldn't breathe as she looked at him. It wasn't the blank expression or the golden-green color of her eyes, or even the cat-like slits that seemed too narrow for the darkness of the room. Something in her eyes was holding him there, swallowing him, making him sink into the depths of the wet orbs set in her small heart-shaped face.

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><p>This would be my first fanfiction. It's most definitely not the greatest, but it's not the worst either which I'm proud of :) Feel free to review and whatnot! <strong>(Also, I know my title is horribly stupid but I had no idea what else to call it).<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Vampire Knight (obviously)

_Rated M16+ due to mild language and nudity and whatnot_

**Chapter 2**

by: Torrus

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><p>They walked to the headmaster's office in a heavy quietness. Aido had broken the spell the girl had had on Kain only a few minutes ago, bringing him back to his senses, but it had been odd after that; even more so than before. Kain had slowly stood up, his eyes darting between the girl and Aido in confusion. His head had been hazy, making him wobble a little once he was on his feet. Aido had stared at Kain, his eyes mixed with emotions he couldn't comprehend at the moment. More than anything he wanted to know what the hell just happened as much as Kain did. After what felt like hours of standing in silence, Kain had finally bent down and hoisted the girl to her feet. Her eyes dropped, and focused on the floor away from Kain. She was frazzled beyond thought at the time, unable to move without help. Once he had had her on her feet him and Aido took hold of her arms and walked her out into and down the hallway.<p>

Now they were making their way to the sun dorms, where the headmaster's office was. "Shouldn't we take her to Kuran-sama first?" Aido asked, breaking the silence. Kain looked over at the latter, taking a moment to process what his cousin just asked.

"Yeah. Probably," Kain replied, rubbing his chin. "Then let's go," Aido said, suddenly jerking the other two in the direction of Kuran's room. Kain blinked a few times, regaining reality's full attention. He put on his usual bored expression and matched Aido's pace. They made their way up a set of stairs feeling the girl's weight more so than before, reminding them that they were dragging her along instead of walking her there. The further they went the heavier she seemed to get, eventually making it noticable to the two vampires who had been in their own little heads.

Aido was the first to look down at the girl, his gaze quickly following her body down and behind them. A good four feet behind them. "What in the world?" Aido hissed. Kain's head snapped back to see the long and thick blue snake tail trailing behind them. The cousins exchanged a frustrated and slightly surprised glance before turning their attention to the blonde in their grasp smiling at them. Creeped out and now closer to angry than confused, Aido set his sights only on the hallway in front of them and began to practically march his way to their destination.

Kain simply sped up to match his cousin's pace, not sure what to think about the girl and their situation. Luckily they reached the room in no time, keeping them from any more distractions. They stood at the big wooden door, pausing to catch their breath and calm themselves.

"You're hurting my arm," she interrupted as Aido lifted a fist to knock, her voice loud and exasperated. The two vampires looked down at the girl (who had returned her body to a human form). Her head had fallen back in an almost exaggerated way as she looked first at Aido, and then flopped her head to the other side to look at Kain straight in the eyes. Her gaze lingered on him only a nanosecond more, but it was enough to make him loosen his grip. Once she looked away though, he took the opportunity to peer at her body. She was taller than he had originally assumed, though still slightly shorter than Aido. However, because of her height, the shirt barely reached halfway down her thighs, exposing much of her long legs. Not that that was the only part of her exposed, due to the size of his T-shirt.

Aido gave the stranger a wary look, which she either didn't see or blatantly ignored his stare as she pulled her head up and faced the door again as if she were only waiting for him to let her in and not being held captive. Aido lifted his fist once more and was again cut off by a deep male voice.

"Come in," ordered the aerial voice from inside the room. Aido dropped his hand to the door knob and pushed the door open, pulling the other two in behind him as he entered the room. Kain quietly shut the door and slowly followed Aido into the center of the room in front of a grand maple desk. Kaname Kuran, moon dorm president, stood facing the outside night at his favorite window, clad in the school uniform. He playing with what looked like a picture or a piece of paper. Kuran took one last look at the paper in his hand before sliding it into his pocket. He tilted his head to catch the eyes of the three standing stifly in front of his desk.

"And who is this?" his voice was strangely relaxing, having some sort of calming quality. Kain began to fidget, pulling on his shirt and scratching his head. He chanced a quick peek at the girl, catching the spark that had suddenly lit up her eyes as she stared almost eagerly at the Kuran. Kuran seemed to catch this as well, something like curiosity and amusment flickering across his face for an instant. Aido, who had been clenching his jaw as hard as he was clutching the girl's arm, spoke up. "Kain found her roaming the hallways and we caught her after some...surprising occurances," Aido said. "What sort of occurances?" Kuran inquired, raising an eyebrow. "Well she, um, she wasn't exactly human when she came across our dorm room..." Aido stuttered.

"I can see that," Kuran interjected, indicating the girl's strange eyes. "Then what?" Aido cleared his throat before continuing, "Well, ah, she was an animal, or rather three? And she changed and..." Aido's brow wrinkled as he tried to find the words to describe the scene that had happened in their room only a few minutes earlier. "I'm a shape shifter," the girl's voice cut through the air loud and clear. She carried on, "I was in the form of a rat on my mission when they opened the door and found me. I freaked out and shifted and because of my carelessness they caught me. Twice." She murmured the last detail, as if only being caught once wasn't shameful but twice was. Kuran stared at the girl who was rocking on her heels for ages. "Why are you here?" he finally asked the girl, a hint of suspicion in his voice. The girl merely grinned a wide, childish grin back, looking like she was about to explode from delight. "Shouldn't you ask me my name first?" she shot back. What could have been a smirk tugged at the corners of the Kuran's mouth but disappeared as fast as it came.

"My apologies, I should have asked who you are first and foremost."

"My name is Kiku. Kiku Michi."

"And why were you sneaking around the halls of the moon dorms?

"Because I am on a mission."

"And what is your mission?"

"My mission is to spy."

"On who?"

"You."

Oddly enough, the girl was completely unfazed about giving up this information to Kaname Kuran. The boys all stood there in silence, shocked by her quick and honest answers and her ecstatic attitude. One would think that a spy wouldn't be so quick to give up information, especially not the entire point of their assignment. Kain cast a wary gaze at Kiku, who was nearly jumping out of her skin in excitement. Kuran slowly walked around his desk and planted himself directly in front Kiku. "What do you think we should do with you?" he asked her. "Take me to the headmaster Cross," she replied immeadiately, her smile stretching even further.

Kuran thought it over briefly. "I suppose we should." Kuran stepped around the trio and glidded to the door. He paused with his hand on the knob and looked over his shoulder. "Coming?" he smirked. The cousins followed Kuran out. Everything was just too weird, especially Kuran's attitude and uncharacteristic smirk. Something was wrong here, and the vampire cousins could feel it. The realization something big was happening seeped into their consciousness as they forged ahead to the headmaster's office.

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><p><strong>A.N.<strong> So far no one is reading this. Oh well! I'll at least get one reader who will read and review my story :) The chapters are rather short, but I promise it will progress to something interesting quickly! I feel like I use that word a lot. Quickly. Anyway, I'm going to try to update every week, so anyone and everyone please review and let me know what you think! I'm curious as to whether or not anyone is going to read this story at all :P


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own VK (incase that wasn't obvious)

Rated **M16+** for minor nudity and possible language/sexual references

**Chapter 3**

by: **Torrus**

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><p>They arrived at the headmaster's door after being literally dragged across the school grounds. It was almost like being outside had fired up Kiku's animal instincts and inspired her to run. The cousins were so shocked by her sudden change of pace that their grip loosened, causing their hands to slip to her wrists before they could catch themselves and keep ahold of her. At that point, however, she was pulling them across campus after Kaname instead of the other way around. She looked more like she was prancing around than running, but she was enjoying herself nonetheless. Once they were inside though, she had lost her energy and the vampires had fixed their hold on her upper arms.<p>

Kuran knocked on the door, making short hallow thumps that echoed throughout the empty corridor. The door flung open to reveal a cheery headmaster before Kuran had finished knocking. "Why hello! Come in, come in!" Cross exclaimed as he swung out of the way and motioned them inside with a grand hand gesture. The trio stiffly made their way in after the ever calm and fluid entry of the pureblood. Cross's wide grin faltered when he spotted the blonde smiling a small eery smile held tightly in the aristocrats' grasps. The headmaster gently closed the door behind them, never taking his eyes off of their strange captive.

"And who have we here?" Cross inquired as he rounded his desk to his chair. "This girl here is a spy," Kuran stated as Cross lowered himself into his comfy seat. Cross raised an eyebrow, "A spy, eh?" The blonde huffed loudly and yanked her arms from the cousins' grip. She stomped forward a step like she was in the military, bringing herself directly in front of the large wooden desk. "I am Kiku Michi," she proclaimed, "A shape-shifter and spy sent to watch Kaname Kuran, as I told these rude fools before." Everyone ignored Aido as he muttered something about being a genius. "You give up that information rather willingly," Cross pointed out. Kiku rolled her eyes as if they were all idiots, "Yes because my master told me too."

"Really? And who is your master?" Kuran interjected. The corner of Kiku's mouth turned up in an amused smirk, "That, _sir_, I cannot tell you." The men took a few moments to think things over in silence. Cross and Kuran exchanged stares as if they were sending secret messages to each other. Kain took this time to look the girl over, taking in her long blonde hair that split down the middle in the back and fell over both of her shoulders. His eyes traced her figure from head to toe, inwardly cringing at the red hand prints staining her pale arms and purpling around the edges before studying the strong muscular structure of her arms and legs. Unlike many of the other girls in the school who had thin, frail bodies, Kiku had a lean athletic body that curved over muscle and was kept firmly in place by her soft looking skin.

Kain was pulled from his trance when she suddenly moved. Everyone watched as she moved in one fluid motion: her legs pushing back onto her tip toes as her palms pressed into the desk, splaying her fingers out evenly before she pulled her legs up, her legs gliding through the air, curling her body as her knees landed delicately on the edge of the desk. "So," she said as she teetered on the edge of the big hunk of polished wood, "do you have anything silver?" Kain realized he had missed something at her question. _Silver? What did that have to do with anything?_

"Kain has silver earrings," Aido spoke up, catching Kain's gaze. "I'm sure he could spare a pair." Kain looked at his cousin questioningly, noting Aido's odd stare. He'd ask what was up later. "What do you need silver for?" Cross asked Kiku who was still balancing effortlessly on her hands and knees. "Well," she started, casting a glance around the room to meet each vampire's eyes before the headmaster's. "Unlike werewolves who can be killed by silver, shifter's transformations are only stopped by silver. So if you have me wear something silver and enroll me in your school there'd be no way for me to escape without you knowing and you can wait for my master to retrieve me," she stated. Cross thought this over.

"How do we know you won't take it off?" Kuran accused. Kiku sighed, "I can't touch it. If you put something silver on me I _can't_ take it off. It's physically impossible for me. I also can't _ask_ anyone else to. It's like the myth where you have to invite a vampire in, someone has to offer or just do it themselves." Cross nodded in approval. He looked over to Kain from above his glasses. "Do you have something silver she can wear?" he asked. Kain dug his hands into his pockets, fishing around for a piece of jewelry. His fingers latched onto a hard smooth object which he pulled out to inspect. It was a simple silver chain bracelet with a crescent moon charm hanging by the latch. "Will this work?" he asked, holding the bracelet out for the headmaster's approval. Cross nodded his head and pointed to Kiku. "Put it on her please," he said.

Kiku's eyes darted between the bracelet and the headmaster as if she was suddenly nervous. Kain guessed she probably was since even though she was willing, she was still agreeing to something that would prevent her from doing what she does. "Now?" Kiku asked, her voiced wavering. "Shouldn't I shift into a disguise first? So that I blend in you know..." she tried to reason. Cross didn't think twice about telling her to go ahead and change, agreeing with her immediately. With a deep breath, Kiku closed her eyes. Both Kain and Aido couldn't keep their eyes off of her as her hair retracted to her shoulders and straightened while also turning a mousey brown, and her body became thinner, making her look lanky and average. Her eyes grew larger to resemble the regular school girl's and her thin eyelashes thickened and blackened, making her eyes more attractive; her nose rounded to reduce the point it previously had. Even her breasts grew a cup-size from her almost completely flat chest and her lips plumped from their original small size.

She opened her eyes when she was finished to reveal the new dark, rich shade of brown her eyes had become, and a normal pupil. Kiku stared at the ground for a little while, blushing like she was embarrassed that everyone had watched. Everyone except for the headmaster who had averted his gaze while she had transformed as if giving her her space. Finally she looked up and gave a curt nod to Kain, indicating he could go ahead and put the chain around her wrist now. Kain approached her slowly to avoid startling her and reached for her nearest wrist. "No," she said, barely startling at her reaction. Kain looked to the headmaster for an indication to keep going or to stop. Instead Kiku lifted her left wrist instead, bringing Kain's attention back to her. "Put it on this one. I'm right handed, so I'd rather it not get in the way," she mumbled. Kain obediently hooked the bracelet around her small wrist, observing how it hung loose enough it seemed as though it would slide off. It stayed put though, even when she moved.

Kiku looked to headmaster again, her arms hanging by her sides. "Well then, I suppose we need to enroll you in the day class if we want to meet your master. Do you promise not to cause any harm or distraction to this school while you're here?" Cross asked, giving Kiku a stern and concerning stare. Kiku met the long haired, scarf wearing headmaster's eyes with a new determined look in her eyes. "I absolutely promise to be no burden. I'll be the best student you ever had in the proceeding month waiting for my master," she grinned from ear to ear again. Cross had his doubts, but he pulled out some papers and looked them over, circling this and that and skipping this and that. Finally Cross looked up, a small smile now gracing his lips. "I'll have Yuki take you to your new room. Welcome to Cross Academy for the month Kiku Michi. I hope you get along well." And with that the vampires were dismissed from the room, Kuran promising to discuss the issue with Cross in private at a later date. Kain glanced back at the last second to catch Kiku's estatic expression.

Kiku watched them leave out of the corner of her eye, a longing to leave with them throbbing in the center of her chest. She was glad she got in, but it was going to be a long month. The thing about shifters is that once they attach themselves to someone, the bond and their affections only grow stronger, whether or not they wanted it to happen in the first place. Unfortunately for Kiku, one of those bonds had already happened and all because of a simple piece of jewelry.

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><p><strong>A.N.<strong> Thank you so much to the reviews and readers I have now! It makes me so happy! Anyway, I would have actually posted this chapter about a week ago but I was typing the rough draft on my phone since my computer doesn't have a document program but my phone does (ridiculous right?) and my cousin called me and it erased the whole thing. Therefore, being depressed about the whole thing I decided to wait until after we came back from our very short trip to LA. (Also I bought the official VK handbook from Border's before they close so I can make this story as accurate as possible now! They even have the layout of Aido and Kain's dorm room! Crazy right?)

Thanks again! Rate, review, favorite, or whatever you can do on this story :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer**: _I do not own Vampire Knight. In case you couldn't figure that out._

Rated **M16+**

**Chapter 4**

by Torrus

Kiku sized up the lighthearted brunette leading the way down the dark hall. She was, Kiku noticed, just as cheerful as her foster father. Not only was she as seemingly carefree as him, but she also had the same keen awareness for when something was amiss much like the headmaster. It was a good thing to have though, Kiku thought, meaning she wasn't gullible. Yuki looked back over her shoulder at the ex-blonde lugging herself along behind, carefully memorizing the layout of the sun dorms. Yuki slowed and fell into step next to Kiku, who was walking at her own lazy pace, a content look on her tan face. "Your name is Kiku, right?" Yuki asked, attempting to initiate a conversation. "Yes. Yes it is. And your name is Yuki Cross, correct?" Kiku mocked, setting Yuki even more on edge though she tried to keep up the friendly act.

"Ah, yes," Yuki adverted her gaze in embarrassment, silence slicing through the air again. Yuki's thoughts travelled back to what the headmaster had told her about the whole ordeal. He had said that Kiku was a shape-shifter and that her master was to retrieve her from the school when he returned from his vacation in Europe. That was if she got caught, which she did. Yuki had difficulties believing this normal girl could actual change her entire form into something else at will. Sure, she did have an air of confidence about her given the way she walked tall even with as slow as she was coming along, and the small upward tilt of her chin. Even her eyes were a little narrowed, creating the impression of a cynical stare everywhere she looked as if she judging things according to her taste; her sharp eyes taking in everything and analyzing it all.

Not only that, but it was peculiar that her "master" was planning on picking her up. It would give away who he was, not to mention leave him vulnerable. The order Kiku relayed to everyone involved was such a nonchalant thing it was unbelievable. Yuki wondered if Kiku would be here longer than they thought. How long would they have to put up with this invader, this strange girl? What's more, how did they know she wasn't lying to them? That she could really just take off that bracelet and slip out in the middle of the night, or ask someone to do it even though she said otherwise? Yuki's mind swam with questions, the ones nagging at her the most practically colors flashing through her vision; the biggest enigma for her was whether or not she could believe Kiku could really be a shape-shifter. Yuki peeked at the taller girl from the corner of her rust brown eyes, attempting to hide her interest.

"You want to know if I'm really a shape-shifter. To answer you question, yes I am," she stated, catching Yuki off-guard. Whatever idea Yuki had of Kiku was quickly shattered with Kiku's sharp answer to the unspoken question. She hadn't thought Kiku was the observant kind-never mind her job as a spy-when Yuki had first met her in Cross's office, but now she beginning to see that Kiku was actually just very quiet. What came off as an air of confidence was, in fact, just Kiku's lack of care and speech; and what Yuki mistook for an oblivious stare was in reality Kiku taking in all of her surroundings down to the very last detail, including Yuki. Yuki was suddenly struck by the realization Kiku had been studying her every move, observing her body language and emotions this whole time.

Yuki straightened herself, now fully aware of Kiku's stare. It made the hairs on her neck prickle. Yuki had only known Kiku for maybe ten minutes, including the night before when she had shown Kiku to her room. Even then she had seemed as normal as everyone else, but now Yuki could see why she was a spy. You wouldn't even notice her watching you.

"Thank you," Kiku said, her full attention now on the quiet brunette. Yuki started, causing her to abruptly feel wary. "What for?" Yuki asked, clearly baffled. Kiku kept a steady gaze on Yuki. "For showing me around and being kind to me," she simply stated, her eyes sincere, boring into Yuki's to ensure the message had gotten through. Yuki's cheeks flushed a pale pink. "It's no problem really. I'm just following orders," Yuki said with a small smile as she ducked her head to stare at the ground. Kiku shifted her sights back to the hallways they were heading down, etching the rooms and classes into her memory. Maybe she's not so bad, Yuki thought. She was rather genuine in all honesty.

Yuki lead them into a large class room already filled with multiple students idling on desks and in chairs, chatting freely amongst themselves so early in the morning. Kiku halted by the large oak desk next to Yuki as a male teacher made his way over to them from the other side of the chalk board. "Hello Mr. Nobu! This is Michi Kiku, an exchange student who will be staying with us for the month," Yuki beamed, clearly excited to have Kiku in her class now after being flattered by her mere seconds before. Kiku was always amazed at how the smallest of compliments could put someone in a good mood.

"Hello, miss Michi. Very nice to meet you," Mr. Nobu said, awkwardly pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. Kiku put on her best professional smile, revealing the top row of shinny white teeth. "Please, just call me Kiku. I look forward to being in your class Mr. Nobu," Kiku inclined her head in a slight bow. Mr. Nobu blushed at the girl's manners, unaccustomed to her politeness after dealing with the mainly informal and inconsiderate bunch of spoiled brats known as the day class for years. Not to say the night class would be any better, he thought.

"So, ah, an exchange student? And where exactly are you from?" Mr. Nobu asked, cocking his head curiously. "I was actually born in Japan," Kiku explained, "however I've been living in France for many years. My brother and I recently moved back into our old family home, but we're trying to find another place of our own." Mr. Nobu nodded with understanding. Yuki stared incredulously at the new girl, not expecting her to have been living in France. It must have been a grand life, she thought. "Well then, let's introduce you to the class and then find you a seat." A musical note chimed throughout the school as if on cue to signal the beginning of class.

The chattering reduced to a murmur as students took their rightful seats and prepared for class. Mr. Nobu waited patiently before speaking to the sleepy student body. "Good morning everyone! I'm pleased to inform you that we have an exchange student from France who will be staying with us for the duration of the month. Everyone please welcome her," he announced. Kiku bowed at the waist. "I am Kiku Michi. Please take care of me," she said before straightening back up. She scanned the room, testing all of the students.

One blonde girl, her hair tied up into long curly piggy tails, leaned over to whisper into her red headed friend's ear. They both snickered and gave Kiku a once over, an devilish smile playing on their glossed lips. Other girls gave her dirty looks, and some gave her the same look they would a complete outcast. Kiku's eyes glazed over, making it appear as if she didn't catch the weird looks the students were all giving her. Kiku followed Yuki to a seat towards the back nestled between a cute girl with short blonde hair and another with glasses and braids.

Kiku recognized the girl with braids as her new roommate, whom she had the pleasure of meeting the night before when they had woken the girl up to let Kiku in. Kiku gave the girl a small smile which was hesitantly returned, but returned nonetheless. As Kiku settled into the seat between her roommate and Yuki she felt someone's eyes on the back of her head. She turned to the side, meeting the purple eyes of a tough looking silver haired boy behind her. His eyebrows were pinched together as he glared death rays at her. No. Not her. At the girl next to her, just to her right.

Kiku shifted her sights to the boy's target-she could swear he was actually shooting daggers at her- to find that Yuki had promptly fell asleep, her chin on the desk and her face propped up towards the black board. A smirk tugged at the corner of Kiku's lips as she inwardly shook her head at the clearly exhausted creature. Kiku snapped her head back around to face the angry boy, and before he knew it she was patting his head: firm but gentle. Bewildered the boy turned his furious scowl towards Kiku, who merely put a finger to her pink lips.

"Don't worry friend of Yuki's," Kiku whispered, "I've got her covered!" Then she gave him a wink, her eyes sparkling mischievously, and straightened again with her eyes firmly fixed on the teacher and her ears perked at his every word. In a matter of minutes Mr. Nobu had asked a question and immediately zoned in on Yuki. Kiku quickly scribbled the answer the moment the words had left Mr. Nobu's mouth and kicked Yuki's leg. Yuki jerked awake, a tiny trail of slobber shinning at the corner of her mouth.

"Yes!" Yuki answered out of habit. "Yes what?" Mr. Nobu asked, the invisible smile of victory lurking beneath his teacherly facade. "Uh, yes to, uh..." Yuki looked down to the note in front of her. Her eyes brightened as she looked up and answered the question correctly, earning a disappointed frown from the teacher as he had to secretly admit defeat. Yuki caught Kiku's eyes, passing her a silent thank you. Kiku beamed at the appraisal and gave her a curt nod. Kiku was already enjoying her first high-school experience. She couldn't wait to try out everything she had watched on TV!

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><p>A.N. Sorry this was so late, I was discouraged about writing after reading a really good story and then I got busy. I hope this chapter is ok, though I know the ending sort of sucks. Anyway! I will have the next chapter up soon to make up for the lateness of this one (and because school is starting soon). R&amp;R! And a special thank you to TheSneakyHobo for reviewing each time :)<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight**

**Rating: M16+**

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><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

Class dragged on for what seemed like forever. Kiku had never been to school before, so every thing she knew about it came from television shows or what few books she had read about high school life. She had to admit, it was much more boring than she had imagined. The excitement of experiencing it all for the first time was pushed away with disappointment and swelling sense of doubt about the upcoming month. Kiku sighed silently to herself as the professor droned on about some unimportant topic and Yuki slept peacefully beside her. The girl on Yuki's right would sneak a worried glance over at the sleeping brunette every now and then, while the girl sporting short braids and glasses on Kiku's left focused on taking careful notes on all of Mr. Nobu's blabber. Bored, the shifter sneaked another peak at the silver haired boy behind her, who now looked as though he was dozing off himself. It was rather ironic since he was angry at Yuki for doing the same at the beginning of class.

Not that she could blame either of them. For what research she did on the Disciplinary Committee members she knew they worked long hours trying to keep the day and night classes in line; though some of their exhaustion could be blamed on the dry lecture echoing at the front of the stuffy class room.

As if a gift from heaven just fell to the earth, the sweet sound of a bell chimed loud and clear throughout the room, cutting off the endless babble and relieving Kiku's misery. She jumped to her feet and stretched, stiff from a whole hour of sitting still. Kiku bent down to collect her things, catching a glimpse of her surroundings as she did so. She noticed the girl with the short bob poked Yuki awake. Kiku concurred she was a friend of Yuki's, and judging by their interactions she was most likely a very close friend. She made sure to file that piece of information into her memory. Kiku made her way towards the door before pausing, realizing she didn't actually know where to go next.

"Um…do you need help finding your next class?" a quiet voice asked shyly from behind her. Kiku turned around to face the speaker, finding her timid roommate standing in front of her. "Uh, I do believe so. Actually, I don't even know what my next class is," Kiku replied before whipping her backpack around and off her shoulders, plunging her hand into the sack. She rummaged around a little until she finally found the crumpled piece of paper. She quickly unfolded it and flashed a smile as she proudly held up the abused piece of paper to the other girl.

"Let's see," Kiku murmured, glancing over the schedule. "My next class is math in room 101," she said, handing the schedule over to her roommate. The mousy girl looked it over, her face brightening when she saw they had the next class together. Kiku watched her coolly, studying her features and movements behind a guarded expression. One could never be too careful in a position such as Kiku's. "Oh how could I forget my manners? I'm Kiku Michi, and your name is?" Kiku piped up, reaching out her hand steadily to the girl before her, a friendly smile placed upon her round face. Braids, as Kiku had decided to nickname her roommate, met her eyes with embarrassment as she realized she forgot to introduce herself as well. "My apologies! My name is Nadeshika Shindo. Pleased to make your acquaintance!" Shindo beamed, grasping Kiku's hand with her own. "I-I have the next class with you if you would like to follow me, though we should probably hurry or else we'll be late!" Kiku nodded in agreement as she took back her schedule and shoved it carelessly into her bag. Shindo and Kiku hurried down the hall to their math class. _Oh great_, Kiku thought, _this class will probably be more boring than my last one. On TV it's the worst class of all. _

Kiku was sulking on the inside, dreading the dullest of all classes as far as she knew, but she kept up all pleasant outward appearances. She was good at pretending though-it's just who she is. Shindo was kind enough to introduce her to the teacher, who in turn introduced her to the class. Neither Yuki, nor Yuki's two friends were in this class. Such a shame. Now she won't even be able to at least do her spy work in this class. Kiku took her seat beside Shindo again, noting the different stares coming from the students. A few glanced at her nervously; a few others stared like they were amused by something, while most others simply tried to ignore her. The form Kiku had taken on was nothing special; it was the way she held herself that had people looking. Not only was she a strange new student coming into their school in the middle of the year, but she also had a more confident attitude than the other girls did. It was a look and aura that could, and in some cases was, taken as arrogance or ego.

Through her peripheral vision Kiku recognized the same cocky blonde and her fiery haired friend from before snickering in her direction. Kiku could hardly determine what was so entertaining about her demeanor, so she shrugged them off as nothing important. She doubted they knew anything about the vampires, even though they were probably the gossip mongers of the school. Kiku stared blankly at the desk in front of her, her vision only refocusing once a clean stack of worksheets was passed to her desk. She took a paper and passed it along, then skimmed it without actually reading the words. Slowly she began to realize she was calculating the problems in her head. Even when she wasn't the most alert her brain still managed to work at full capacity it seemed. Kiku jotted down the answers, mildly amazed she understood all of the equations and even more so that she knew how to solve them.

"Done already are we?" spoke a deep voice from over Kiku's shoulder. Kiku spun around startled. She had let her guard down too easily. Usually she would detect anyone moving nearby. "Y-yes," she stuttered in reply to the professor. He delicately plucked the worksheet from Kiku's hands and scanned over her work. His eyes widened slightly and his head nodded in approval. "Well, this is very good. Have you taken this class before? All of the answers are correct," the professor smiled as he held out the paper to Kiku. "No sir I haven't. Apparently math just comes easier than I thought it would," she half smirked back at him. "It's a pleasure to have you in this class then, Ms. Michi," he gave her shoulder a pat before leaving to check on other students. Shindo leaned over to look at Kiku's answers, surprised Kiku had really solved all of the equations. "Wow, even I have trouble in this class. Are you sure you haven't taken this class before?" Shindo asked in awe. Kiku nodded vigorously. "I was homeschooled until now, and I wasn't taught a lot of math. Only the basics really," she explained. Shindo removed herself from Kiku's personal space to continue working on her worksheet, a new determination showing in her posture.

Kiku glanced at the clock. Still a half hour left to go, though at least the class wasn't as bad as she had thought. She even discovered she had a new talent. She huffed and placed her chin in her hand. It was then that she caught a glimpse of the silver bracelet glittering around her frail wrist. Her chest squeezed as she remembered the vampire who placed it on her. It was his own piece of jewelry and the thought excited her somewhat. She didn't know what it was about the vampire that attracted her so much, but she was beginning to find it distracting. She didn't come to this school to start any relationships-friendship or otherwise. Maybe it was the beauty of his features. Something about his droopy eyes made her heart flutter a little every time she had looked into those sincere gold irises. He may have captured her, but she was secretly thankful she had to resort to plan B, and so it was only reasonable to be grateful towards him. _What was his name again? They had called him "Kain". Was that his first name or his last name?_ She wondered. People in Japan seemed to mostly refer to others by their last name, so she figured it would be safe to assume the same in this case.

This Kain had appeared genuinely worried about her when he was carrying her to the headmaster's room. She even caught the glint of regret in his eye when he had noticed the mark his hand had left on her upper arm. Her right arm, the one he had been holding, was nothing compared to the side his roommate had been squeezing. At one point he had even froze over the flesh he was gripping onto as a warning of sorts. Although, that was after she had purposely transformed her lower half into a giant snake tail, so she could understand his behavior. Kiku faintly wondered what kind of person this Kain was like. He was the caring sort, she could tell that much. But what other sorts was he?

Kiku shook her head to clear it of her mind's musings. Now was not the time to be day-dreaming. In fact, the entire time she is to remain at the academy should be concentrated solely on the assignment before her. If she failed this time, who knows what her master would do. He would never hit her, but the punishment she would receive would be worse than any hard fist could deal up-that much she could be sure of.

Bells rang and more classes began and ended just as slowly as they started. Kiku heaved an audible sigh of relief as the bell releasing them to lunch rang across the campus. Shindo had the last class before lunch with Kiku as well, the period before being the only class they didn't have together thus far. Smiling warmly Shindo cocked her head slightly to the side and invited Kiku to join her for lunch. Kiku happily obliged, grateful to have at least one companion during her stay at the academy. Her posture had softened through out the day, her shoulders slumping over from what felt like countless hours cramped up at a stiff desk inside. Kiku couldn't wait to get outside and stretch her legs.

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><p>AN: I can explain myself I swear! I am so sorry for my prolonged absence. Unfortunately, we moved out of my grandma's house and out on our own and couldn't afford internet. Still can't, however now we can tether our phone's internet to my mom's laptop so I will be back! I am back! And I deeply apologize for my lack of posting for a year. Hopefully I will actually finish the story now at some point. I have plenty of time now that I've graduated high school.

On another note, in this chapter I slowed things down a little to give a glimpse into Kiku's personality and how she's adjusting to all of this. I hope it wasn't too boring!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

******Check previous chapters for disclaimer.**

Akatsuki Kain woke up in the middle of the day, eyes blurred and muscles sore. He washaving trouble sleeping no matter which way he turned or how many blankets he piled over his head of messy hair. He decided to lie in bed on his back a little while longer, hoping that his body and mind would finally cooperate and send him back to the dream world. After several moments of day dreaming to no avail, the vampire sat up and yawned wide, his fangs elongated in distress. He blinked once. Twice. Finally he swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up fully, stretching his arm over his head and nearly falling back over onto his sheets. Kain stood up with an annoyed grunt and sauntered over to the window. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to look out the window at this time of the day, but he obliged to his body's actions all the same.

The sunlight stabbed at his eyeballs like a hundred pins, causing a searing headache to explode in the front of his skull. A soft hiss rushed sharply past his teeth as his pupils tried to adjust to the sudden intrusion of UV rays. Slowly, everything came into focus and the vampire could peer out lazily at the bit of campus splayed before him. He still didn't have a clue as to why he was staring out his window in broad daylight; he just knew it felt like it was where he should be. His mind was groggy from lack of sleep, possibly due to all the thoughts that had been running around in his head since the night before.

It was then he thought back to the girl. That strange girl who could change her form. The girl with narrow cat eyes and a sharp tongue, who seemed both so vulnerable and naïve, yet gave off an aura of mischievousness and cunning. He couldn't stop thinking about the surreal feeling of the situation. Did it even happen? Or had he really been dreaming this whole time? The very idea of shape shifters seemed ludicrous. Kain's brow furrowed as he began searching the courtyard outside, vaguely registering that the day class had just been let out for lunch. _Ah, so that's what time it is,_ Kain murmured to himself. _It's rather early isn't it?_

While watching the students wander and run around the grass and cobblestone Kain noticed he was searching for someone. His sights eventually zoned in on one student in particular. He squinted to see her better but it didn't help much as she was too far away. Something about her seemed both familiar, yet oddly foreign. It wasn't until he noticed the silver glint around her wrist that shimmered whenever she moved that he recognized her. Kain's breath hitched in his chest as he realized that subconsciously he had gone to check if she was still at the academy, and more importantly: real. A quiet groan rumbled from within his throat before Kain reached up to rub his hands over his face and through the wild nest of hair upon his scalp. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, slowly turning himself around and heading back to his bed.

Kain peered over his shoulder at his still slumbering cousin before flopping onto the mattress in a dramatic manner. He sighed at his confusion, knitting his brows together. He couldn't make out any more of this intruder than the others. Why then was it he was so much more concerned about her than Aido or Kuran? Kain was finding himself torn between caution and intrigue; fighting whether he should want to get to know her and her reasons for her actions, or whether he should be keeping her at a safe distance. How bothersome, he huffed.

He wanted to be suspicious of her-he _was_ suspicious, but that one memory kept nagging at him in the back of his psyche. The way she looked at him when she had involuntarily shifted back into her human (well humanoid) form was frightened. She had looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights, deathly fear flickering behind her bright green eyes. For a moment he had thought she might scream. Her eyes had captivated his own at the time, holding them there shock still with a heavy feeling of electricity shooting between the two. At one point he felt like the fear wasn't from her current predicament, but instead from thoughts of something worse to come. She had become so collected and guarded during the trip down to halls to the president's dorm, even provocative. It didn't seem like she really feared her vampire enemies.

A sinking feeling settled in Kain's stomach as he remembered how happy she was to be here. Everyone will need to be on their toes with the girl. Her motives were made clear, but Kain was sure there was another basis for her being here, or at least for being so transparent about her motives. Everything about last night was wrong. Kain shoved his face into his pillow, deciding to leave it be until they were given further orders on how to deal with this threat. Yes, that's what she is. A threat; a bizarre one at that, but a threat nonetheless. There was no reason to continue worrying Kain figured as he finally fell asleep, that small part in the back of his brain secretly admitting it was because he had finally confirmed the girl was still here.

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><p><strong>AN:** I wanted to give some insight to Kain again since the story sort of started with him. I'm sorry for the late post! I've found that when I don't feel like doing something, I just won't do it. So I won't be making promises anymore! Except this one: I will see this story through until the end no matter how long it takes!

On another note I actually had this chapter and the next 2 or 3 already typed out, but I've been going back on and editing the crap out of them whenever I do decide to work on my story! I realized that I like my story better and have an easier time editing when I leave it alone for a while. Any way! next chapter shall be up right after this one! It's the least I can do for my followers :)

Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

******Check previous chapters for disclaimer.**

Kiku was eating her lunch with contentment when the snarky blond bimbo from a few of her classes before approached with a small entourage. The shifter took another bite of her sandwich with an exasperated look plastered to her visage. She knew this was coming at some point, so why not deal with it now rather than later?

"What'cha eatin' there new girl? A sandwich?" the pigtailed blond sneered.

"Yes I am. Ever seen one before?" Kiku mocked, amusement shining in her brown eyes.

The cocky girl before her grimaced. Shindo sat quietly to the side, watching the whole scene with wary interest.

"Do you know who I am?" she whispered threateningly.

"No. Should I?" Kiku retorted, shoving another mouthful of sandwich into her mouth.

"Yes, you should new girl," the blond narrowed her eyes.

"If that's the case then you should also know my name 'old girl'," she taunted, the spark in her eyes glowing more mischievously than before.

"Old!?" pigtails scoffed. "How dare you brat."

"I do believe my name is Kiku Michi, and yours is what?" Kiku replied, straightening and holding out her hand to the opposing force standing even more rigidly before her. The gleam had disappeared, Shindo observed, but she could see it was simply being masked as part of cunning Kiku was displaying.

"Wha-w…my name is Midori b-but you should know that already!" Midori sputtered, taken off guard by the sudden change of direction the conversation took. She clenched her fists, refusing to return Kiku's polite advances. Midori's wide eyes became slits as she glared at Kiku, unsure of what to do now that Kiku had made a fool of her. The blond had severely underestimated the calm brunette and her quick wits. The new girl had seemed full of herself, but had kept so firmly to herself it seemed as though maybe she was only full of hot air and nothing else. However Midori was finding her judgment was flawed in the worst of cases. Never one to be told off so easily by another female student Midori decided she had no choice but to try and coolly play it off and somehow she might come out on top.

Kiku gave Midori a dangerous smirk, letting pigtails see through her façade for a brief moment as if to tell her she knew what she was thinking and she was ready for a counter attack. Visibly shaking, Midori clenched her teeth and spat out her next few words with as much righteousness and venom as she could muster.

"Well next time do your research on the students of the school you choose to attend. We don't like people playing on our turf and we don't take kindly to other girls flirting with our men, so watch how you look at the boys in the night class or you could get yourself in some serious trouble," Midori managed to say all in one breath. Pigtail twirled around, confidence beginning to take hold of her being once again.

"Oh," a smug smile reappeared on Midori's lips, "and you're supposed to button up your jacket. It's dress code, so I'm doing you a favor by keeping you out of trouble. Besides you wouldn't want people to think you're a slut now would you?" And with that last sharp remark Pigtail marched off to the other side of the courtyard, her three drones following timidly and doubtful of their leader's self proclaimed victory.

"Pathetic," Kiku mumbled finishing off her sandwich. "Don't you think so Braids?" Kiku turned to Shindo with an innocent look on her face. Shindo's lip twitched at the nickname. When had her roommate given her such a name in the first place? After watching the exchange between Kiku and Midori, Shindo figured it wasn't something likely to change, no matter what her feelings were on the matter. "Uh…yeah. You were pretty amazing though. I've never seen someone stand up to Midori so bluntly like that before," Shindo answered in authentic awe of how Kiku had handled the confrontation.

"Really?" Kiku looked bewildered. "No one has ever stood up to that _sorry_ excuse for a queen bee?" Shindo giggled, the amazed expression on Kiku's face looking silly on her usually blank or annoyed face, while also inwardly cringing slightly at Kiku's crude comment. Sure Midori was rude, but she wasn't really a bad person and she never posed any real threat to the student population. Shindo wondered what kind of roommate she had gotten herself involved with. Kiku seemed like she could be kind-she was certainly nice to Shindo herself at least. Yet, every time Kiku spoke there was a certain harshness to her tone that made Shindo worry if Kiku actually liked her or not. Kiku had mentioned she was homeschooled though, so maybe she just lacked a filter from never having been around so many people in her same age group at once.

Shindo puffed up her cheeks and let out a breath of relief. That had to be it; Kiku just didn't understand all of the social norms of conversation among high schoolers. She was just very blunt and slightly confused about her surroundings. Shindo cast a small smile in Kiku's direction as Kiku fidgeted with her attire.

"Braids, can I ask you something" Kiku frowned, her tone holding an odd note as she continued to stare at her clothes.

"Yes?" Shindo replied, her eyebrow rising of its own accord.

"Do I really look like a slut with my jacket undone?" she asked hesitantly.

Shindo let a small laugh escape her small lips.

"Oh. Oh, no Kiku. Trust me you don't look like a slut. Midori just said that to get on your nerves. It's just different is all, though I do think she was right about it being against dress code," Shindo chuckled, a bright smile appearing on her smooth skin.

"It's just not comfortable all buttoned up. I feel so trapped," Kiku whined, giving Shindo a look of real distress.

"If an official or teacher says anything just plead innocent. I won't tell," Shindo put a finger to her lips and smiled warmly. Shindo laughed secretly at Kiku's sudden child-like behavior.

Kiku searched Shindo's face for any dishonesty hidden in her features, her brow furrowed as she did so. After a moment the muscles in Kiku's forehead relaxed and she let out a loud sigh of liberation. "Thanks," Kiku added as she dropped her shirt and jacket, happy she could get away with breaking the dress code for now at any rate. "What's that you're eating by the way?" Kiku asked curiously, gesturing to the octopus shaped sausage in Shindo's bento.

Shindo smiled even wider. "You have a lot to learn while you're here Michi," she teased.

Kiku stared blankly at her a moment. Then a smart grin crept onto her abnormally long mouth.

"Please Braids, call me Kiku."

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><p><strong>AN:**Aaaaaaand chapter 7 right after chapter 6! This time I kept it more from Shindo's point of view. I thought she was actually a cute character in the book and she definitely could use a little more of the spot light. Thanks again for everyone of my readers and reviewers! I promise to have the next few chapters up within the next few months. Maybe I'll be feeling extra creative and write more because I have nothing else to do with my life since I just graduated and I'm starting a body painting internship that doesn't even start until September instead of going to college.

See you all soon!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Check first chapter for disclaimer.**

The last class of the day was by far the worst, Kiku decided. She was bored and lonely, and she did not understand what the teacher was prattling on about. Kiku was left feeling a little bitter about her loneliness. Shindo had a different class for the last period of the day and not even Yuki or her friends were there to be spied on. It was rather frustrating that the only familiar face could not even come as a comfort as it was attached to a pompous pigtailed blond sitting like a diva in the front row. Midori was the haughtiest girl Kiku had ever met and she now understood why so many people on TV didn't like her kind. What Kiku couldn't understand is how they still did like girls like her in some way despite being turned off by their pretentious attitude. Maybe it was because people thought she was pretty? _Well, I don't think she's very pretty_, Kiku puffed.

Midori looked over her should at Kiku, who made an annoyed face back at her. Pigtails made a disgusted countenance and whipped back around to face the front with an exasperated huff. Kiku turned to gaze sadly out the window to her side. She found her first day filled with disappointment, boredom, annoyance, rage, and yet still exciting all the same. She experienced a lot of the firsts of being in school including making her first friend, who as luck would have it was a super nice one at that!

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of Kiku's chapped lips. The smile dropped though as soon as she caught sight of her reflection in the window. Kiku stared into her chocolate doe eyes, taking in the deep color of them and the black lashes that delicately framed their large shape, finding the image strange. She pulled gently at a piece of her straight sandy brown hair, shaking her head in the least just to feel the weightlessness of it.

It actually felt nice to have short hair. It made her feel free in way, a nice contrast to the way she felt taking classes cooped up inside all day. She had given herself side bangs when she had changed instead of keeping her straight across, short and spiky bangs. This was a decision she was finding she regretted. Now her bangs fell in her face all of the time and gave her the most frustrating sensation when they weren't exactly where they should be. Kiku stuck out her bottom lip in irritation. She supposed she would need to get used to it for the next month.

Next Kiku examined her nose, the point it originally had being softened down to a cute nub most people found attractive on young females. Kiku found it weird and ugly on her face. She liked the prominence of her old, sharper nose. She figured if one was looking from the right angle, they wouldn't even be able to see her nose. She snorted at the thought, her eyes then shifting to discern the shape of her mouth. Her lips were frozen in a state of contentment, the corners barely quirked upwards and relaxed enough to maybe part a little in the middle.

Kiku felt an unfamiliar prick in the inner corner of her eyes and grimaced. She stared at her eyes in the window, trying to make out what was wrong. Red sprouted from all around the white balls and water swelled on the bottom lid, lingering dangerously on the edge. _Are these tears?_ Kiku wondered surprised. She had never been one for crying-she could count all the times in her life she had cried-so this was another new experience for her. The new experience of crying for no reason. Kiku wiped her eyes, ridding them of tears before they could even start flowing. She chuckled privately to herself. Apparently she was already missing her true body. She would make it a month, she was sure of that, but that didn't mean she wouldn't miss her real form any less.

Not completely pushing away her thoughts, but no longer fully embracing them, Kiku focused her attention to the other side of the glass and past her image gazing distantly back. She took in the scene taking place far away in the heavens. The breathtaking colors of the sea in the sky bled and faded in and out of one another as the golden ball of fire sank sleepily to the land below, resembling a giant plush green pillow. Kiku's breath caught as she watched the timeless dance between the sun, sky, and earth-the one time a person could see all of them come together in perfect peace and harmony. Kiku admired nature and all of its beauty, but the skies and the stars would always be her favorite mystery.

The piercing sound of the final bell cut through Kiku's reverie, startling her into action. As she gathered her things in a rush she noticed all of the other students were in the same hurry as her. Were they just as bored as her? No wait. Not all of the students; mostly just the girls. She followed them, curiosity taking over Kiku's legs and refusing to let her stop until she had reached the point everyone was gathering at. Intrigued, Kiku tried to look over the crowd of girls to see what was going on, only then realizing they were waiting in front of the moon dorm gates. _Well, this is a little odd isn't it?_ Kiku contemplated.

Kiku scratched her head and cringed at the sudden uproar of high pitched squeals erupting from the swarming crowd of day class girls. Kiku decided to watch from a distance backing away enough to where she could find gaps in the wall of estrogen and flesh without being knocked around or suffering from bleeding ears. She stared on in confusion, watching with interest as the gates to the moon dorm opened and the tight swarm of female students enclosed on itself even further. Suddenly the throng parted, a shushed murmur spreading throughout the girls like wild fire and out emerged the fierce faced boy from her first class.

Zero Kiryu from the Disciplinary Committee controlled the mob with a simple look, the vein in his temple throbbing with impatience.

"I said, BACK AWAY!" Zero yelled over all the excited voices. Immediately the mass dissipated, if only a little, to allow room for the night class to stride through. Kiku could tell the silver haired boy hated the vampires more than the screaming students judging by the way his teeth cinched tightly together as they walked by. Kuran appeared at the front of the line, making sure to give Zero a curt nod out of politeness rather than honest gratitude. The committee member shot back a death glare full of distain in response.

"Oooooh," swooned the familiar voice that had taken up a station beside Kiku. This time Kiku had felt her presence, preventing her from jumping out of her skin in surprise. Kiku cocked a half smirk towards her friend. "And which one are you mooning over Braids?" Shindo began to think of her nickname as an expression of endearment from her new friend, and so was no longer offended by the term.

"Zero…" Shindo whispered, almost too low for Kiku to hear, even with her super human senses. Kiku turned to look back at the figure at the center of a black angry aura with a small "huh". Her eyebrow raised in question and her mouth twisted into a tight grimace the longer she stared at him. Kiku elbowed her friend in the side to get her attention, causing Shindo to yelp with a start.

"What?!" Shindo squeaked.

"What's so great about him?" Kiku questioned in all sincerity.

"Well, uh, he's really hot! And he's, um, super cool…"

"But he's so angry! What's so cool about that?"

"So?! Maybe he's troubled! I've heard he's had a tough life!"

"So you pity him?"

Shindo's cheeks burned a bright red of frustration and she stared down with malice. "I once used to fawn over the night class too, you know. I even tried climbing the wall, which was a horrible mistake since I fell. But then Zero saved me! He's nice deep down! I just know it!" Shindo wailed. She searched Kiku's big eyes for a sign of understanding. Kiku's expression never changed, and after a few long and painfully stressed moments Shindo saw her face soften as if she finally got it.

"What you're saying is you like Zero, think he's 'cool', because you feel indebted to him?" Kiku's voice wavered with uncertainty. Shindo stared at the shifter blankly for a second in shock; then she suddenly groaned and flung her head back dramatically. "You just _don't_ _get it_!" Kiku's mouth quirked up lightly at the corners without a trace of laughter for her friend's response. "No. No I guess I don't," she mumbled under her breath. Shindo turned to Kiku immediately with a look of worry. "Haven't you ever been in love before? Or just liked a guy?" she asked quietly, her eyes wide.

"No. I don't think so."

"Oh…sorry."

"Don't be."

Silence fell between the two. Kiku abruptly snapped her head in the direction of the moon dorms, sensing a familiar presence other than the pureblood's. Shindo detected the sudden shift of energy radiating off of Kiku. She leaned over to try and get a look at what had caught Kiku's attention so unexpectedly and found Akatsuki Kain, his cousins Hanabusa Aido and Ruka Souen close by, in her line of vision. A sly grin snuck its way onto Shindo's pale features. "You seem to be awfully taken by Kain over there," Shindo teased, nudging Kiku with her shoulder. Kiku paid her no real attention, her sights locked onto the noble. "Yeah. I met him last night," she finally answered.

Kiku continued to stare until she locked eyes with him. Though, it wasn't the 'him' she was trying to lock eyes with. Aido sensed her gaze and was the first to look in her direction. He locked eyes momentarily before jerking his head away with a look of disgust and ambiguity, his chin held up and body tense. Kain, noticing his cousin's behavior, tilted his head to see what had bothered him. At the most awful moment possible Kain caught Kiku's stare, just as she realized she had lost control over the color of her irises. _Shit_. For some odd reason the color of a shape shifter's eyes was the only thing that wasn't affected by silver, and Kiku had forgotten to mention that part to the people in the room last night. Kiku had let go of the brown color of her irises at the same instant Kain had looked into them, shocking them both. The discomfort Kain was feeling was obvious and Kiku worried he was going to be telling the others about this soon.

Kiku felt another pair of eyes on her. Kain must have felt it also because he turned his attention to the woman to his left. The brunette was beautiful with long hair and haunting brown eyes adorned in lush eyelashes. Kiku couldn't distinguish how this woman felt about her, but it quickly became obvious she hadn't yet known about Kiku once Kain leaned down to whisper something in the other vampire's ears, causing her eyes to widen somewhat. A small part of Kiku's memory flickered to the surface reminding her of the research she had done on the night class. This gorgeous girl was Ruka Souen, cousin of Aido and Kain. Kiku wondered a moment if Kain and Ruka were lovers. They seemed close from what she had read about them. Her heart gave a faint squeeze at the thought.

The two vampires' gazes lingered warily for a moment longer before they tore their eyes away to continue to their classes. Kiku felt a stone settle in her gut. She closed her eyes for a moment, a light breeze wafting Kain's scent to her.

"Shindo," the shifter nearly whispered, a hint of fear in her voice.

Bewildered at her friend's change of tone, Shindo looked up to her friend with an unspoken question on her tongue. "Let's go now," she said. Kiku spun on her heel to the opposite direction and headed for their dorms at an unusually swift pace. Shindo bit her tongue and followed in silence.

"I don't trust that girl," Aido nearly hissed. Kain walked along side him in silence, his thick brows furrowed and his eyes dropped to the floor. Ruka looked up to her friend. "Are you alright Kain? You're more quiet than usual." The question sounded more like a demand. A demand for what only Kain would know. He let out a heavy sigh.

"Neither do I. Something about her bothers me," Kain replied, ignoring Ruka's question. _As if her being a shape shifter and a spy isn't enough to be bothersome. _Aido looked displeased, as if he didn't quite believe the disturbed noble. There was more Kain wasn't telling them and Aido knew it. He didn't know what it was, but something about the night they had caught her had struck a nerve with Kain.

Aido kept his lips sealed the rest of the way to the class room.

* * *

><p><span>AN: Oh What's this?! Another chapter up again so soon?! Turns out I had this chapter typed up already too and just had to do some more minor editing. I hope this hooks you so bad you can't wait until the next chapter I just spent the past hour typing up! Don't worry though, it'll be out soon!

So after I had written the last 3 chapters months ago, I decided to create documents up to the 12th chapter and write down the basic description of what was to happen in those chapters so I wouldn't forget. As fate would have it it was a life saver! In the next chapter I'll actually post what I had written as a description down here so you can see! Even if you don't care, oh well. Who really needs to read my mostly pointless Author Notes anyway right? Wrong. I mean Right.

Thank you to my readers and reviewers and favoritors and followers and the like! I appreciate it!

Did I sense a little romance in this chapter? Maybe. Or maybe it's just her adrenaline glands making her feel like she needs to throw up out of anxiety.

Until next time!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

_Check chapter one for disclaimers_

A soft knock echoed throughout the dark room, fading away unnoticed by a sleeping Shindo. Kiku bolted upright in her bed, her heart pounding in her chest. She quietly caught her breath before slipping on a pair of flip flops Shindo had loaned her and crept to the door, still anxious. Kiku slowly slid the door open to reveal the innocent looking face of Yuki Cross. Yuki smiled attentively in a silent apology. Kiku cleared her throat. "Yes? What is it?" she managed to croak. "Sorry for disturbing your sleep, but your presence is requested for the moon class," Yuki whispered gently. Something about the way Yuki phrased that sentence put the shifter on guard. "_It's requested_ for _the moon class?"_ she pondered.

Kiku let out sleepy yawn. She hadn't really managed to get any sleep the past few hours, constantly waking between dreams. Maybe this meeting will tire her out enough to finally knock her out for the rest of the night at least. Kiku nodded at Yuki, her eyes still glazed over with sleep and stepped outside of the room. Yuki hesitated before asking, "Aren't you going to change first?"

Kiku glanced down at herself, only then realizing that she was sporting Kain's T-shirt and nothing else. It was all she had for night clothes as she didn't bring a suit case when she was decided to sneak around the academy in animal form. "Oh," she uttered, still staring at her attire. "Should I put on my uniform?" she asked looking up to meet Yuki's eyes again. "If you want," Yuki replied, "or you can just put on some casual clothes." Kiku stared at Yuki long and hard before finally admitting in a defeated tone that the uniform and shirt were all she owned. Yuki seemed shocked, but then she remembered the state Kiku was in when she arrived at the academy and figured it made sense.

"Then just throw on the shirt and skirt. Don't worry about the jacket or any other details," Yuki said, smiling warmly. Kiku's brown head bobbed in understanding as she turned to go dress. After several moments Kiku emerged again-this time wearing the long sleeved white dress shirt, the uniform skirt, and the same flip flops she had put on earlier. Yuki gave her a once over of approval and began in the direction of the class rooms. Kiku lugged behind reluctantly.

Both Yuki and Kiku paused in front of the door, an ominous feeling sinking over Kiku and making her wary. But then Yuki smiled reassuringly over her shoulder at the shifter and opened the door, relieving Kiku of her anxiety only temporarily. Kiku nervously entered the room. Her steps were slow and cautious, like that of a mouse testing the ice before crossing a pond. Everyone in the room turned their unearthly eyes towards the stranger out of habit. The room was deathly still, causing Kiku to hold her breath in case any sudden movement could turn them on her. Kuran straightened into a dignified yet casual stance off of the teacher's desk he had been leaning against and approached her effortlessly. Kiku stiffened even farther, if that was possible, and halted in her path to watch the pureblood striding over to her with caution.

"Welcome," Kuran purred. "No need to be afraid. We don't bite," he gave a wicked smirk as he added, "…usually." The class of night walkers began to whisper to each other about Kuran's strange behavior. Usually the man wasn't one to use humor, much less to threaten with it. Yuki gaped off to the side before Kuran motioned to dismiss her with a wave of his hand. Seeing the gesture, the small brunette made an angry pouting face but left the room nonetheless.

Kiku narrowed her eyes at the pureblood, distain flooding her mouth. "You wouldn't like the taste of me anyway," she coolly remarked. Her nerves slightly calmed as they were overcome with bitterness. She was suddenly glad she didn't have to camp out disguised in his room. She probably would have given herself away when she had had enough of him.

"Oh, no?" Kuran raised an eyebrow in question. "And why is that?"

"I'm too gamey," she replied curtly.

Behind him a blond haired vampire let out a snort of amusement. The same young man turned his kind green eyes to meet Kiku's, smiling in greeting. Kiku's features softened at the presence of the pleasant seeming vampire and she relaxed in front of Kuran, no longer feeling quite so vulnerable. Kuran stepped aside as the other vampire advanced towards Kiku casually, extending a hand as he closed the short distance.

"Hello, my name is Ichijo Takuma," he said, shaking Kiku's hand softly.

"Kiku. Kiku Michi," she responded with a slight smile. The pureblood seems annoyed by the display as if it had interrupted his taunting, though it honestly had. His attention snapped back to Kiku, however, when Takuma mentioned something strange.

"Your eyes are awfully odd. Is it because of your abilities that they look like that?" he asked in all sincerity. Kiku was taken aback as she realized she hadn't been controlling her eyes the entire time. Kuran seemed to bore his gaze on her, the same hostile energy rolling off of him like before. He turned to the rest of the class who had been silently observing the scene and raised his voice as he announced:

"This here is Kiku Michi, the shape shifter who had snuck into our school the other night with the intention of spying on us. Luckily enough Kain and Aido caught her in the hallway and brought her here. We'll have to tolerate her for a month, at the end of which her supposed _master_ will come to retrieve her. Now," Kuran met the eyes of every student, letting his words sink in before slinking closer to Kiku, "while it seems like she means no serious threat to us, I've also witnessed enough to know that we should still be wary of her. You understand that don't you?" Kiku nodded stiffly as he directed his speech towards her.

The pureblood stared at her a moment, gauging her reactions so as if to avoid offending her too much and causing an outburst. He continued in a low voice, "We were told from that very mouth that silver would keep you from transforming into anything else, including your true self. You also said that you couldn't ask anyone to remove the silver or take it off on your own. All of you should be taking notes," Kuran's dark eyes flickered over the class to make sure everyone was paying attention to what he was saying. "So please then, explain why your eyes are quite unnatural for a human instead of the brown I saw you change them to last night?"

Everyone refrained from movement, watching the girl standing at the front of the room almost quivering under their pureblood as he paused and waited for her answer.

"Well you see," Kiku forced past her lips, "I simply forgot to mention that my irises are the only parts of me that aren't affected by the silver. Usually I can keep the color under control, but you did have me woken up in the middle of the night with little sleep so you can't entirely blame me for not being aware of everything."

Her answer was reasonable. Even Kuran seemed to believe her reply as she had said it with such conviction in her voice, and decided to shift back to a different subject.

"Makes sense," he breathed into the air. "Now then, let's test this silver theory. Ask me take the bracelet off," Kuran ordered. Kiku frowned, her mouth parting and closing as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. After what felt like minutes she finally whined, "I can't! I told you it's impossible!" Kuran seemed satisfied with her reaction while everyone else watched on with interest. "Try to take it off," he demanded.

For a moment and some reason, Kiku found herself attracted to this cold man. He wasn't necessarily cruel; though it was obvious he was filled with darkness and secrets. It wasn't how he looked either-although she found him to be physically pleasant-but it was how he reminded her of her master. With his dark features and strong stance, his sharp words brought back memories of her master's sarcastic tongue bearing both harshness and light hearted humor with his words towards her. Only her master liked her a lot more than this man did.

Snapping back to reality, Kiku moved to unclasp the bracelet to no avail. It was as if a force were keeping her hand from touching the bracelet. She managed to push past that barrier but then her fingers fumbled with the silver chains and she couldn't get a grip on the cold metal clasp. A bead of sweat gathered at her temple and she gave up, shooting Kuran a glance of another "I told you so".

Words of intrigue were passed between classmates; some were amazed and most worried as it proved any suspicions about her abilities and faults. Kiku began to feel embarrassed and her cheeks flamed beneath the skin. Kuran spent another minute observing her. Finally content with what was shown and proven to the night students, he turned back to the class.

"There you have it. Only we know about her and only she knows about us and we would like to keep it that way. Be cautious about what you say around her as she is an admitted spy, but do not fear her. I have one rule that is to take effect tonight with no exceptions: no one shall remove this bracelet from her wrist. If anyone is caught aiding her in this act, they will have to report to me." The warning hung heavily in the air, the words spoken by a legitimate authority. Kiku hung her head to avoid the stares of the vampires in the room, most of which who had decided amongst themselves they would simply neglect her for her stay at the academy.

"Why don't we have someone keep an eye on her," Takuma suddenly piped in, breaking the quiet that ensued. There was a collective hum of approval from the other vampires. Kuran considered the notion. "I would watch over her myself but I'm very busy this month, and I wouldn't want to neglect Shiki," Takuma glanced over to this "Shiki" with a teasing smile.

"What about Kain? He can do it. He's always doing stuff for other people anyway, so this may be a bit of a break to have to watch just her," the one named Shiki suggested. Kuran's eyes gleamed at the idea and he searched the room for his right hand man, finding him fidgeting nervously by the windows next to his cousin Aido. Kain tried to avoid eye contact for a moment, but quickly gave in. He almost regretted it as soon as their eyes met.

"Kain, you're in charge of watching over Michi during her stay here. I'll excuse you from classes if necessary," Kuran ordered indifferently, ready to get on with their night. Aido tried to protest but was quickly cut off. "Would _you_ rather watch her Hanabusa?" Kuran asked, his voice dripping with disproval. Aido closed his mouth and slumped back into his chair, casting a worried glance in his cousin's direction.

"Good," Kuran praised, his spirits seeming to have been lifted slightly. That is, if one could tell when he was more content. "First order of business for the night: Kain. Take Kiku back to her room and don't let her out of your sight," Kuran made sure to dismiss them completely after that.

Kiku had been left to stand there quietly as the whole scene had played out, and now she was assigned a patrol officer. Or at least that's what it felt like. Kiku turned her wide eyes to meet Kain's equally astonished gaze. This month of high school was becoming more and more complicated by the night. The shifter mulled the conversation that just took place over in her head again.

She decided maybe she didn't like school that much after all.

A/N:

So...I'll probably never post a chapter on time. There will always be months in between. But on the bright side, you can be sure I will still post...eventually! I apologize for taking so long though. I use my mother's old refurbished computer that finally gave out on us two months ago. Luckily enough, my mom got a Best Buy credit card and was able to get a new computer! So that's how I'm able to get this out on the internet now! Yay!

Oh, and I graduated high school and got a job and shit. I've been busy. Chapter 10 shall be out in a few minutes and then I just have to finish typing up and editing chapters 11 and 12!

Here's my little self summary I wrote to outline my plot haha! Read if you want, though it's not very important.

Kiku gets called to the night class and is led there by Yuki in the middle of the night. She is introduced and they explain what she is to everyone. Kaname tests the silver theory to see if it's true, slightly humiliating Kiku in the process. Everyone is amazed but equally worried and suspicious. They decide to shun her as it seems like the most reasonable solution amongst themselves. Kaname assigns Kain to watch over Kiku by Shiki's suggestion though Aido objects, worried that Kain may be biased on this job.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

_Check previous chapters, or just the first chapter, for disclaimers._

Kiku had left the night class stunned with her mind blank. It wasn't until Kain had grabbed her arm and pulled her out into the corridor that her thoughts began to race. The shifter stumbled awkwardly over her petite feet; this was partly due to her shoes, but mostly because she still wasn't quite used to the new and more uncoordinated body of hers. Kain held a swift pace, helping him maintain a few feet in front of her no matter how hard Kiku tried to keep up. He was leading her back to her dorm now that he was put in charge of her. Kiku grimaced, disheartened by her slow and clumsy feet that were making her look awfully silly compared to her true self and causing the distance between Kain and herself to grow.

She decided that a light jog would help her catch up to Kain at his super human walking speed, but as soon as she got in a few bounds her toe caught on a large stone towards the side of the pathway. She tumbled wordlessly, only letting a light hiss escape her lips as a dull pain throbbed through her hands and knees. Kain paused, noticing the thump and scraping sounds of Kiku's fall. He made a loop back to where Kiku kneeled in the dirt, dusting off the pebbles imbedded into her skin. Kain frowned, concern showing in the tension of his mouth and eyes. He squatted down to Kiku's level and held out a sure hand.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he looked her over. Kiku swiped her hands up and down the sides of her shirt to brush off the last of the dirt and clasped his hand with a firm grip. "Yeah, I'm just fi-ah!" Kiku gasped as Kain pulled her to her feet. Kain tightened his grip and extended his other arm for support.

"It doesn't sound like it," he stated.

"It's…it's just my ankle. I think it's just bruised," Kiku covered, feeling the muscles in her ankle swell. Kain led her carefully to a bench a few steps away and sat her down, much to Kiku's displeasure. He bent down to examine her ankle. Kiku tried to pull away but he had gripped her leg and foot just around the sprain, making it hard to extract herself from his hands.

"I told you I'm fine," Kiku protested, "It's just a small bruise. It'll heal in a week."

"This isn't a bruise," Kain replied, obvious disapproval showing through his tone. "You sprained your ankle. We'll need to bandage it so it heals properly." Kiku frowned. She didn't like feeling weak or helpless in front of others, especially men. Kain released his hold on her leg and stood up, meeting her cat eyes with his. He held out his hand to her once again; only this time she didn't move to take it.

"Can you walk?" he asked, his hand still hanging in the air. Kiku ignored his outreached appendage and lifted herself onto her feet. "Of course. This is nothing, even in this weird form." She stuck her chin out with an attempt to look dignified, but winced and stumbled as she took a step. Kiku grabbed onto Kain's jacket to save herself. Kain wrapped the arm she had pushed aside around her waist to hold her up. Kiku accepted the help spitefully.

"I can take it from the dorm's front doors," she said, trying to lessen the blow to her ego. Kain pretended not to hear her claim and asked instead if she had a first aid kit in her room. Kiku nodded. "But I can bandage myself. I have practice with that," she added. Kain continued to help her hobble across the court yard and to the girls' dorm. Much to Kiku's dismay, Kain pushed open the door and quietly led them inside as he kept a firm hold on her waist. Kiku limped inside, reasoning with herself that Kain was fixed on his intent and wasn't keen on listening to her complaints. Checking the hallways to make sure they wouldn't be seen, Kain helped Kiku towards the stairs.

"Your room?" he requested. Kiku pointed up to the first flight of stairs.

"Just on the second floor. Turn left and it's room 406 on the right," she explained. Fatigue began to settle over Kiku's nerves, causing her to be more sluggish than before. Sensing the shift in her mood and speed, Kain saw it fit to carry her the rest of the way. Kiku gave a tiny squeal as the tall vampire scooped her legs up and carried her bridal style up the stairs and down the hall. Kain shushed her, a warning gleaming in his eyes. Kiku remained rigid. She could feel the muscles of the arms and torso she was pressed against moving with every step through the thin layers of his shirt and jacket.

It was too odd. Kiku nearly jumped out of his hold when they neared her door. Kain relented and let her push her way along the wall to her room, but was quick to catch the door before she could close it on him.

"I'm going to bandage your ankle," he whispered harshly into the dark room. Kiku peered around the wooden barrier and heaved a great sigh, giving up on resisting the vampire. She pulled open the door and wobbled to her bed. Kain entered cautiously, his eyes adjusting to the darkness of the room. He searched for her roommate and found her across the room, still sleeping peacefully in her plush bed. Kain tip toed to where Kiku was sitting, closing the door behind him with as little noise as possible. The shifter had already pulled out the first aid kit and was trying to wrap a long strip of bandage around her swollen ankle. Kain stole the roll from her hands and tugged on her foot. Kiku seemed shocked for a moment, but then sat back and let him do it himself. He would leave sooner if she let him do what he wants.

"So," Kain whispered as he gently rubbed a cream over the bulging flesh. Kiku whimpered softly at the contact. "Where are you from?" Kain blew lightly on the ointment to help it dry. If only he had Aido's power.; then he could ice her injury.

Kiku grew silent as he worked. The vampire looked up, sensing the shifter's eyes boring into him peculiarly. She seemed to be deliberating something as she watched him with a calculated gaze, her eyes glowing eerily in the dark. Kain had ceased his actions and couldn't help but to stare back and wonder what it was she was thinking now. Then, strangely enough she cocked her head; a corner of her mouth twitched and a curious glint shone in her eye.

"France," she finally uttered both clearly and slowly.

"But I was born here in Japan. I just don't know where. My master won't say where he found me specifically."

Kain adverted his eyes and continued to wrap her ankle. "You don't remember anything from before your master…._found_ you?" Kain tried to feign indifference, but he had too many unanswered questions running through his head to not be interested. He was grateful for her sudden willingness to speak.

"No," Kiku tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling.

"My master said I was abandoned as a baby. It was probably because I'm a shifter. Apparently we aren't born into our own kind. I don't know how my kind comes about, and if my master knows anything he has no intention of telling me. That's for sure."

Kiku let her neck roll her head back down, her hair hanging in parts of her face and shielding her eyes.

"My master took me in and raised me. He told me what he knew about shifters and helped me expand my abilities. If it wasn't for him I'd most likely be living in an alley trash can as a rat or cockroach.

"Any way. In return he trained me to be his spy. It was the least I could do. He never let me out of the house though. The only time I've seen the outside world with my own eyes was on the few times I was sent on petty missions, though not of this like."

Kain had finished wrapping a thin layer over her ankle and began to hook it around her heel. Kiku fell silent again. Worried she may not speak anymore the aristocrat tried asking another question to keep her story going.

"So this is the first time you've done something this big?" he inquired. Kain seemed completely focused on his task though he was listening intently.

"Yes. But I have to admit that I didn't think it would be like _this_." The emphasis on the last word struck a chord in Kain. "Like what?" He paused what he was doing to search the girl's face for answers. Kiku ran her hands through the air from her head down, gesturing to all of herself.

"I'm just so…different. I don't understand the other students and sometimes I wonder if I'm doing something wrong. I'm afraid I'll mess everything up." Tears welled along her waterline, and a wall fell over her expression. Kain saw the guard she put up, realizing then that that was all she was going to tell him. He felt a pang of pity for her. She had been molded to do only one thing her whole life, but she had never been allowed to gain any experience in the real world. Now she was at a loss since she acknowledged she just isn't like the other students but she had to find a way to hide it. Kain didn't know if he could live with that kind of pressure. At least the vampires all had each other. Kiku only had this "master" of hers. It was then it struck him just how lonely she must be, and why she sometimes acted so impulsively and childish.

Kiku wiped her eyes, a new mood falling over her to cover the last one. "So tell me, what is your life story?" she smirked. Kain froze, his hands failing him once more. He quickly regained control over his limbs and moved to hurry up and finish. As Kiku stared down at him she admired the tangled mess of reddish brown hair, the smooth slope of his jaw and the fast and sure pace of his hands as he finished bandaging her ankle. Before she could think instinct took over and Kiku was pulled down to him. She nipped his ear playfully, taking in his scent with pleasure as she did so. Kain had tied the end at that moment and placed a startled hand over his ear. He jumped up and regained his composure.

It had surprised them both and Kiku flushed red in embarrassment. Kain seemed to discern this and decided it was time to take his leave. "Well, I'll see you later. Good night," he spoke almost breathlessly. "Yeah, good night," Kiku replied dropping her head.

Kain stepped outside the room, but just as he was closing the door he heard a soft "Thank you. You know, for my ankle." The door shut with a faint click. Kiku remained sitting awkwardly in the same position, dwelling over her mistake with her heart thundering in her ears. Kain stayed and leaned against door quietly for a long time, pondering the event that just took place, the rumbling sound of a heart beat filling his head.

_AN:_

__Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand here is chapter 10! You're welcome ;)

Please be sure to review and favorite my story! If you love it of course.

The next chapter will be a little different as Kiku is going to become more acquainted with Zero, but I promise things will start to heat up in chapter 12! Until next time my dear readers!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**_Please check chapter one for disclaimers_**

A few days had passed without further incident. Now it was the weekend, the time when Kiku could simply lounge around and become better acquainted with her roommate. The Saturday morning sun shone through the blinds, casting warm strands of light over Kiku's sleeping form. The shifter's eyes batted open and looked about the room. She was starting to become familiar with the place, and was proud to find she was feeling comfortable in it. Kiku pushed her covers off and sat up to stretch in the soft glow of the room. As she was reaching her arms above her head she noticed the bed across from hers was empty. Yawning, Kiku wondered where her new friend could have gone so early on their day off when she heard a sudden shuffling sound coming from the closet that caused her to start.

"Braids?" she called out nervously.

Shindo poked her messy head out from behind the doorway. "Oh good, you're awake!" she exclaimed. The mousey girl stepped out of the closet with two dresses in hand and held them out eagerly for Kiku to see. "Which one do you think I should wear today?" she asked, "the green one or the purple one?" Kiku blinked a few times before eying them both. The green dress was a beautiful emerald shade, and it had an interesting swirling pattern along the short sleeves. A lighter shade of fabric twisted from the shoulders and met in the middle before crossing and continuing their journey around the breasts, letting the rest of the gown flow freely to knee level. The purple garment on the other hand was more casual, and therefore more fit for a lazy weekend like the one they were about to have. Even so, the dress was a lovely pale lavender color, with rounded lace sewn onto the bottom edge. The top started from the straps and flowed into the dress creating a carefree feeling, almost as if it would blow away like petals in the wind.

"The purple one," Kiku replied after a moment of consideration.

Shindo turned to the full-length mirror hanging on the wall and held each dress up to herself. After much lip biting, frowning, and sighing, Shindo finally turned to her roommate and shook her head in agreement. Braids disappeared into the closet again to return the green dress and change. When she emerged Kiku was in awe. Shindo had tied a tan braided belt about her waist that complimented the dress and her form beautifully. Kiku smiled brightly in approval and Shindo blushed.

The rest of the plush blankets fell off of Kiku as she stood up, revealing almost her entire form protruding from the barely long enough T-shirt she wore to bed every night. Shindo turned her head away to give Kiku some privacy, as Kiku never seemed completely comfortable being half naked around her though she only ever wore the shirt to bed. Shindo watched out of the corner of her eye as Kiku picked up her uniform off of the end of her bed and slowly pulled her tights on.

"Kiku…" Shindo started.

Kiku looked up through her tangled brown hair as she finished pulling her tights up.

"Yes…?" she answered hesitantly, seeing a new emotion on Shindo's face. Shindo's face twisted into a frown.

"Don't you have any other clothes?" the blonde asked.

Kiku opened her mouth to answer, but then closed it, settling for a shake of her head. Shindo looked apathetic, cuing Kiku in that something about that was wrong. Shindo seemed at a loss for words.

"D-do you have any money to buy clothes? Or someone who can send you some clothes?"

Kiku was silent, a little unsure of how to answer that question.

"You know you can't just wear your uniform all the time. That's unsanitary," Shindo said half amused.

"W-well I have a bank account I can access from town," Kiku said quietly. Braids perked up at her response and urged the shifter to finish dressing so they could go talk to the head master. Kiku dressed quickly and ran after Shindo who was already headed down the hall. The brunette looked awkward as she stumbled behind Shindo, trying to put all of the clothing in the right places. They reached the headmaster's office just as Kiku was fixing her hair. Shindo shot an assuring glance Kiku's way before knocking heavily on the large wooden door.

Headmaster Cross swung open the door to reveal his beaming face. "Why hello! Miss Nadeshika Shindo, I presume?" the headmaster greeted the girl cheerily. His eyes seemed to lose their shine as they fell upon the vaguely familiar face of Kiku. "And Michi I see. What a surprise!"

Shindo stood straight and gave a slight bow of her head.

"I'm sorry for disrupting you Headmaster, but can we have a moment of your time?" she asked. Kiku was slightly surprised at how formal she sounded, though really she shouldn't be. The headmaster smiled and stepped aside to let them through.

"Please, be seated," Cross said as he closed the door behind them, gesturing to the chairs placed in front of his desk. Shindo fell gingerly onto the cushion while Kiku just sort of flopped down in her chair. "What did you want to discuss?" Cross asked as he circled his desk to sit across from the pair. Shindo opened her mouth to speak but Kiku stopped her with a gentle touch on the arm.

"Let me explain," Kiku said, locking her eyes with the headmaster. Cross stiffened.

"You see, I didn't come here with much and now I'm in need of more clothes. All I have now is my uniform and a night shirt," she began, "What I want to ask of you, Headmaster, is to let me go into town to access my bank account and buy some necessities. You can send the officials with me, as I think that'll be to both of our advantage. Either way, sir, I need to get clothes and I would rather not have to take charity when I have my own money."

Cross nodded his head in understanding. The shifter watched as his shoulders relaxed. "I see, I see. Well darling we must take you shopping then! I'll have Yuki and Zero take you into town. Don't take too long though, I want you back by five this evening," the headmaster responded, his usual light heartedness returning. Cross called his adopted children up to the office and asked that Shindo go about the rest of her day.

Kiku delighted in the smell of the fresh air and the openness of the town splayed out ahead of her. She had been feeling so caged at that school, and not just by the bricks and windows that made up the building. As free as she was feeling, the reality of her current situation pulled her back like a dog on a leash from the sound of Zero's harsh voice.

"Stop prancing about," he snapped, "and stay close to us." Yuki followed Kiku casually, never really leaving Zero's stiff side. Sighing, Kiku's legs slowed to long steady strides instead of the acrobatic display she was putting on before. The path soon led to the streets lined with shops and restaurants alike, all the same buildings decorated to be their own. In a way it reminded her of people. They all had the same features, all looked the same really, but it's what is inside that sets them all apart and tells you what they're about. Kiku supposed she could include herself and vampires into this metaphor as well.

The average looking girl spotted an ATM right away, turning in its direction without skipping a beat. Noticing Kiku's sudden change of interest Yuki trotted behind to keep up, leaving Zero glaring obliviously at the ground. The head of silver hair snapped up at the sudden abstinence of Yuki, a vein visibly pulsing in his pale forehead. Zero trudged after the girls while mumbling all the way. By the time he had reached them Kiku had already pulled out her money and was intensely studying a brochure she had picked up somewhere. Yuki attempted to make small talk, offering up suggestions for stores she could go to and which places had what. Zero nearly smirked at how seriously the shifter was listening to his friend, nodding fiercely whenever Yuki pointed at another store.

"This store is pretty cheap right?" Kiku inquired, her tan finger poised over a discount store. "Um, yeah, but wouldn't you like to have nicer clothes than that? Their products are as cheap as their prices," Yuki warned. The former shrugged her shoulders before folding the brochure back up and stuffing it inside the front of her shirt. Yuki opened her mouth but Kiku interrupted before anything could be vocalized.

"This store is fine," she said as she began to walk in the direction of the discount store, her footing sure like she was on a mission. "I only need some clothes to last me a week since I can wash them to last me the month. No point in buying excess right?"

Zero waited outside and watched the crowd flow by. A frown was set deep into his face and he gave off a doom and gloom aura. Passerby's avoided him subconsciously as he had hoped. Now he only had to keep it up for another hour as he anticipated the girls' return. The hunter hated shopping, especially with the female species as they always took the longest to look at this and that, often forgetting what they came for in the first place. Kiku had only walked in ten minutes ago and he was debating whether or not he should go find something to eat before they finished. The café he and Yuki usually frequent caught his eye across the street, but before he could take a step towards it Yuki's familiar voice sounded lowly in his ear.

"She's done," she said mournfully, her poker face on and her eyebrows low. Zero arched his brows at the shifter skipping out with a single bag and a bright smile on her face-one that implied accomplishing a great deed, though Yuki seemed to disagree. "That was fast," he grunted. Yuki shot him a glance of annoyance and sulked over to the café. Kiku patted Zero's shoulder as if to reassure him and then bounded after Yuki. Shaking his head Zero made the expedition through the crowd trying to hide the puzzled look on his face.

Kiku slid into the booth opposite of Yuki as Zero took his place next to Yuki. Zero's violet eyes bore into Kiku's, unsure of whether he should ask about what she had bought. He didn't have to ask it turned out, as Kiku was eager to share the contents of her bag like it was her first time shopping.

"So," she started as she placed the bag on the table, "I got three shirts, two pairs of pants, and a skirt just in case. Whatcha think?" Kiku laid the items delicately across the wood to show them off. At first Zero didn't understand what Yuki was so unhappy about since Kiku had picked out completely normal clothes with nice solid colors, but then he noticed something strange about them.

"Are these from the men's department?" he asked, his face expressionless. Kiku's smile didn't falter as she replied, "Yes, these two shirts are and both pants are. They all fit well so I don't see why they need separate departments for boys and girls. It's rather silly if you ask me." Zero tried not to smirk as he observed her selection of T-shirts and jeans with one frilly skirt and one chemise thrown in. He didn't see much wrong with it, but he did find it strange she didn't care to get anything…cute. Zero supposed Kiku was a bit of a tomboy. Yuki had reached over and was fingering the lace of the chemise she probably picked out in her desperation to avoid a fashion disaster.

"It's all very nice…but-" Zero had started but was cut off by the waitress and her tray of sweets. They had all ordered the same thing: hot coco. Surprisingly, Kiku had never had any before and since winter was fast approaching they had mutually agreed to order the same chocolaty drink. It came, as one would expect, in tall glass cup decked out with whipped cream, chocolate shavings and a cherry on top. Kiku's eyes lit up so bright, they even reversed back to their natural state. Zero hadn't seen her true self yet so her eyes came as a shock, and eliminated whatever doubt he had about her abilities. The shifter didn't hesitate to dig into the whipped cream, completely forgetting about the straw to drink her coco with. "You were saying. About my wardrobe," she mentioned as she put the whole cherry into her mouth, squealing as the juice spurted across her taste buds. Yuki thanked the waitress and handed the others their straws.

"Ah, well, I was going to say," Zero tried to pick up where he left off as he stuck his straw into his cup and plucked the cherry off, setting it on a napkin to the side. He suddenly felt the need to spare her feelings. She wasn't a vampire, so he cared a little more if he offended her, yet at the same time he didn't care if it would offend her. He decided to say something else, just in case. "You didn't get a coat?" he asked coolly. Kiku gave him a puzzled look, her eyes back to the dull brown they were before. "Because winter is coming soon and it's going to get really cold out. The forecast says we may get snow next week already," Zero tried to cover. It seemed to work as understanding settled into Kiku's features. "It has been a little cold, huh? I figured I would just wear my uniform jacket since it's not like I'll be coming into town again. Will it not be warm enough?" she began to look a little worried that she hadn't truly considered the approaching weather.

"Aaahhh," Yuki sighed loudly, her glass already empty. Her eyes lit up and she grabbed Kiku's hand. "Oh! Why don't I go pick you out a jacket!? I promise to get you the perfect one," Yuki offered, a mischievous gleam in her sienna* eyes. Kiku's face softened drastically, the coat problem affecting her more than it should have. "Sure, I would really appreciate it," Kiku responded, reaching into her pocket to pull out what cash she had left. She handed it to Yuki who seemed surprised at the amount. Yuki didn't remember her taking out so much, but then again she wasn't really paying attention.

The brunette jumped out of her chair and turned towards the door.

"I'll meet you guys on the corner in twenty minutes, ok?" she said with a smile. Kiku watched her leave with an air of gratitude about her. Zero stared down at his glass, not sure of what to say. There was nothing to worry about it seemed, as Kiku seemed to be a pro at awkwardly breaking the ice. "Do you want that cherry?" she asked, plucking it off of Zero's napkin before he had a chance to reply.

"Guess not," he mumbled. Zero began swirling his whipped cream into the chocolaty liquid. Kiku frowned at him as she watched, playing with both cherry stems in her mouth all the while causing Zero to looked up. "What?" he demanded. Kiku avoided his glare and pulled the two perfectly knotted red stems from her lips. "I just don't understand why people do that. You know, mix their whipped cream in with drinks? It just doesn't taste the same." Zero raised a brow at the girl, "It's not like everyone has to eat it the same way."

"I know, I know. I just think there's a reason they put the whip cream on top."

The silver stud gave her an incredulous look. As conversation became peculiar, the shifter decided to quickly change the subject to a more uncomfortable one.

"So Zero Kiryu," Kiku cleared her voice, "have you any siblings?"

Kiku sensed him stiffen and cursed herself for asking the wrong question yet again.

"Well, I for one don't have any siblings. At least I don't think I do," she pondered, trying to take the spotlight off of the hunter. Zero gave her the same treatment he had before-a cold gaze and a rock solid guard. "What do you mean, 'you don't think you do'?" he asked out of necessity more than curiosity.

"Hm? Oh I was adopted. Found really, by my master. He said I was abandoned as a baby, so I wouldn't know if I had any brothers or sisters. Some times I think he might be lying to be totally honest," she replied.

"Oh yeah, this master I was told about. Sounds like a great guy," Zero's tone was sharp with sarcasm.

"I'm sorry for asking about your brother Zero," she mumbled sadly into her coco.

Zero's head snapped up. "How do you know about my brother?" he hissed. Kiku's eyes stared up innocently at him from over her glass, "I'm a spy, remember? I did my research before coming here." He tried to hide the hurt burning through his eyes at the memory of his lost twin. Kiku's gentle touch brought his gaze back to hers. "If it makes you feel any better, I think he'll come back some day. You'll see him again," she whispered with genuine sincerity.

Like a child her attention was brought to something else, causing her to chuckle as if forgetting about the situation entirely. "How ironic," she mumbled, "that I got the cracked glass."

"Why is it ironic?" Zero asked, happy to change the subject and push away his past.

"Think of it this way: this glass and I are like one in the same," she explained, though Zero didn't seem to comprehend what she was trying to tell him.

Sighing, she went into further detail, "I know I am broken, but I still work and I take pride in that. However, some day soon only two things could happen: my master will fix me or he will throw me away. If he fills my cracks I will become a stronger glass. I will still be the same ol' glass doing the same thing I always have done, but I will just be able to keep moving forward in the same direction.

"If he decides instead to throw me out, let me break even further, then maybe I will make my way to a junk yard and be melted down to be turned into something new. I will have learned from my mistakes and experiences and come out the other side a better and stronger product. I will have a new outlook on life and I will be a little more careful at my job. However, when I grow older and I break again, as things do, I will write a label to put on myself that says 'Handle with care'. You can handle me with care, or don't handle me at all." Kiku's eyes burned a deep and earnest green as she finished her metaphor.

Violet eyes fixed on the glass in wonderment; wonderment that she could find such a deep connection to such a mundane object. And yet, it all made perfect sense. The exact same process her simple drinking cup would go through was so much like what she might have to go through, what many people have to go through. He was almost saddened that the shifter was able to compare her life to that of her glass.

"Why do you think your master would ever…er…kick you to the curb?" he finally queried.

Kiku smiled sweetly at him as she replied, "We are fools to think we are irreplaceable."

"How was your hot coco?" the waitress interrupted cheerily, breaking the dense atmosphere that had taken a hold on them. "Great! I've never had anything this delicious before!" Kiku responded enthusiastically. The waitress handed them the bill and wished them a lovely day. "My treat," Kiku said as she slipped the money she had saved into the black case. She stood up to leave, making sure to grab her bags first. Zero was right on her heel as they left the pleasant café and made their way along the softly lit street.

Kiku admired the way the street lamps looked blushing against the late afternoon sky. Winter was definitely on its way judging by the darkness of the sky so early in the day. Zero cut through a few alleyways, either the sun or the crowds being too much was as good a guess as any one's. Somehow Zero had switched places with the brunette, taking the lead instead of following closely behind. It was better like that, Kiku thought, since he did know the town more than her.

They were cutting through another dimly lit alleyway when the shifter suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She whipped around in surprise, smacking the culprit's hand away and taking up a power stance out of habit and training. A tall man loomed darkly above her. He wasted no time to grab onto her again, pulling her close before she could determine his intentions. The man's pale face drew close to hers, his crimson eyes drinking her image in as he held her frozen body in place. Kiku knew she was in trouble. There was nothing she could do against this man without her natural abilities, as he was too strong for a hand-to-hand fight. She would run if he didn't have such a tight grip on her thin schoolgirl arms. The dark haired man dipped his head and took in her smell from collarbone to ear. A raspy and excited, "what are you?" escaped his thin blue lips.

She suddenly realized this wasn't a man-it was a level E vampire. Her heart dropped into her gut as he shrieked quietly into her ear "You smell fantastic! Extraordinary!" Panic finally took its grasp on the paralyzed shifter, letting her manage a hearing level "ZERO" just as the vampire tried to plunge his fangs into her bare neck. She flinched away in time to avoid his bite, but he was quicker and angrily grasped her hair in his hand to jerk her head back into place. He wasted no time with his second try and pierced her throat with little struggle.

Zero heard Kiku's call and even though it was barely above a regular talking level, something about the intonation of her voice made him turn around. He ran back for her immediately, adrenaline flooding his veins. Zero had only made it a few yards ahead of her, but everything had happened so fast he was too late to stop the parasite. All it took was a carefully aimed bullet from his Bloody Rose and the level E's body disbanded from itself into a cloud of dust. Zero rushed over the crouching girl. She squatted with one hand to her wound and the other on her thigh for balance as she breathed in and out slowly through her mouth.

"Are you alright?" Zero asked with concern as he crouched beside her. His voice brought her out of her trance and she swiftly withdrew a shirt from her bag, which had fallen into a crumpled heap by her feet when she had been pounding against the vampire's chest with her free hand. She made sure to pick her least favorite one, the blouse, and pressed it firmly to the bite to stop the bleeding, wincing only slightly. Kiku noticed how Zero's eyes gleamed a dull red behind the purple irises and commemorated him for his strength and resistance.

"Yeah. Let's...let's just go now," she breathed out. Zero helped her to her feet, wrapping his arm around her waist just in case. Kiku remarked to herself how this was becoming an unfortunate habit of hers. They reached the corner where Yuki was waiting patiently with a large bag in both of her hands. She rushed over worried as soon as she caught sight of the shaken Kiku and unusually rigid Zero by her side. "What happened?!" Yuki gawked, taking the bag from Kiku's ashy hand. "She was attacked by a level E," Zero grunted, obviously not in the mood to fully explain. "We should get her back as soon as possible. I already called for the car, so it should be here shortly," Yuki claimed as she took the shifter's open arm.

"I'm…I'm fine. Really I-" Kiku's vision went black before she could finish reassuring them. She slipped effortlessly into the darkness.

Kiku awoke in her own warm bed, surrounded by posh pillows and silky blankets. For a moment she thought she had awoken in the after life, but then her throbbing neck assured her it was reality. Groaning, the shifter slid her legs over the edge of the bed and pushed herself into a sitting position. She waited for her eyes to adjust to the dark room, focusing on the objects barely seen in the moonlight streaming through the curtains. She looked around while rubbing her injury with her hand. The room was empty. She then spotted a creamy white card propped up like a tent on her nightstand with her name elegantly written in black ink. Curious she picked up the card, admiring the gold floral pattern framing the edges and wondering to whom such a fancy stationary could belong to. Inside she found a note written in the same calligraphy as on the front. It was from the headmaster himself, explaining how they had fixed her up at the nurse's office and put her to bed. However, they had removed her roommate temporarily as they figured she would heal best in such a weak condition in her true form.

Kiku gazed down at herself, now noticed the ink black and golden strands tumbling down over her breasts and splayed across her shoulders. For a moment she felt over joyed to have her natural form back, to feel like herself, although she realized it would only be for a little while. She decided to make the most of her time left and stood up, catching her balance on the wooden stand. She carefully positioned the card back in the same place, figuring she might keep it as a memory of her time there. The shopping bags gleamed almost magically by the bathroom door, catching Kiku's cat eye. She made her way over slowly, cautious not to over-exert herself. She picked up the large blue bag that Yuki had brought her and carried it into the bathroom, curious to see what kind of jacket she had picked out.

Kiku almost wasn't surprised that Yuki had bought her more than just a fashionable jacket. Inside she also found a few more shirts, closer to Yuki's taste but wearable for Kiku, and a prudently folded and stored cloth at the bottom of the plastic bag. It was a lovely light blue color, similar to her favorite nightgown back home, and made of delicate looking fabrics. Kiku pulled it out and unraveled it with the utmost attention, almost gasping aloud when the item beautifully revealed itself. Yuki had bought her the most gorgeous gown fit for a ball. She hurriedly put it on to see, still being cautious not to tear the material. She almost couldn't believe she was staring at her reflection in the mirror. Kiku burst through the door to look at herself in the full-length mirror adorning the closet.

One pleated silk shoulder sleeve rested daintily on the edge of her shoulder and attached to the sweetheart neckline where cream-colored fabric roses nestled. A brocade of silver and deep blue vines and leaves swirled from the flowers into the sleeve and down the fitted bodice along the side and curves of her body all the way into the flowing asymmetrical skirt edges dusting the ground. The opposite side was cinched at the waist with pearl buttons that matched the roses, allowing the skirt to gather and cascade down the side like a waterfall. The bodice looked to be some sort of satin fabric, while the skirt and sheer material overlapping the satin was made of wonderful chiffon fabrics.

Kiku marveled at all of the detail woven and put into the dress. Yuki seemed to know her better than she did herself. Smiling like a child, Kiku thought she would need to thank Yuki later for such a fantastic gift, even if it was bought with her own money. She just hoped her bandage would be gone by the time she had a chance to wear it. Thinking back on the events of the last day, the shifter figured the two guardians would make valuable friends.

*For anyone who doesn't know, sienna is a brown color. I picture Yuki's eyes as a burnt sienna in oil paint as it's a deep red brown.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hey everyone! Sorry it's taken me so long to post this chapter. As you can see it's quite a bit longer than my other chapters and I kept hitting a writer's block. Bleh :P

Thank you for staying with me! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and can't wait to see when Kiku gets to wear the dress haha I may even post links to the best of my ability to drawings I've done of Kiku and the dress so stay tuned!

(P.S. don't forget to R&R, it'd be much appreciated and fuel my desire to keep going!)


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or any of its characters. **_

_**This chapter contains strong sexual content. Readers proceed with caution.**_

Kiku spent the next week the same as her school year had started. Classes dragged on and the moon dorm inhabitants tried to avoid eye contact at that dreaded point of the day every evening. Kain had kept an eye on the shifter whenever she ended up in his line of sight, he even set up meetings to make sure everything was going well and if she was keeping out of trouble. At times his eyes would instinctively find themselves staring at her throat where that level E had bitten her. Luckily she had already been wearing her ribbon around her neck like a choker before the incident, so it went unnoticed that the red bow meant to tie into her collar was now hiding a injury holding a secret to the general population. Sometimes Kain would feel a twinge of pity for her and what she had to go through. Usually being bitten was a somewhat pleasant experience, unless the one doing the biting didn't care for the sensitive feelings and skin of the one on the receiving end, which is what happened in Kiku's case.

Kiku enjoyed their meetings, even if they only happened long after dark causing her a loss of much needed sleep. She was intrigued by the mystery of Kain; she wanted to know more about him, about what made him. He was always so quiet and contemplative, but she doubted he was as deep as he seemed. She could see the emotions that played across his face in a flicker of his muscles or a certain gleam in his amber eyes. Kiku couldn't have been gladder to have him as her patrol officer, seeing as he was not only good looking, but also the only one who did not regard her with fear or hatred. Instead he approached her with curiosity, even if she could detect the underlying uncertainty and caution that raided his consciousness. Every now and then they would have conversations, often noting the oddities of everyday life among the female day students or revealing small snippets of their pasts. These were Kiku's favorite times, when he would open up just a little and let her into his mind and ultimately his life. He told her about how he, Aido, and that beautiful vampire Ruka were cousins, though she would never admit to him that she already knew that from her research. What she learned from him was the dynamics of his relationships with his bloodlines and the other vampires, and the reasons why he was at the academy. It seemed most of the vampires were simply following the pureblood in their admiration and devotion to him, more than they were living with the purpose to create a union of humans and their race.

Kiku could not forget her purpose for being there. No matter how much she wished to push the thoughts away, her mission nagged at the back of her skull, compelling her to keep notes of her new experiences and information out of guilt and necessity more than wish to please her master and complete her original goals. She was enjoying being a student and making friends-she even spent some time bonding with Yuki and Zero. Alone they were interesting and their presence bearable, but together they made for an entertaining time, enlightening her on their personality and ability to adapt to situations by their interactions than a one-on-one chat ever could.

She noticed. She always noticed when he stared at the evidence of her attack a week ago. It almost saddened her that he knew what was hidden under her ribbon, the red color seeming to give it away. Kiku wasn't sure if he felt sorry for her, or if he felt it was a justified punishment for a spy such as herself. He was kind hearted, she could feel it, and that feeling brought her hope that he could only be thinking the former. Tonight was one of those nights where Kain and Kiku were visiting amongst themselves in a quiet room lost in a forlorn corner of the grandeur moon dorms. The shifter had waited patiently for the vampire on her typical seat, her feet tucked beneath her as she quietly read the dusty book she had found on one of the bookshelves lining the walls. Two of the walls were made out of glass rather than concrete, serving as giant windows overlooking a small garden dimly lit by the moon's soft shine. Kain walked through the doorway in his usual nonchalant routine and made himself comfortable in the love seat opposite of Kiku.

"How do you get away with missing this class every night?" Kiku inquired without looking up from her reading, her voice casual though holding a taunting undertone. Kain crossed his legs and began casually shuffling his hands through the bag he brought with him as if she always asked him the same questions.

"Kuran allows it since he did assign me to watch over you. It's not as if I haven't learned most of this material before," he answered, obviously not caring or not minding missing his most boring class. The corner of Kiku's mouth twitched into a gentle smirk at his remark and she finally closed her book and laid it on her lap, making a mental note of the page she left off on. She brought her attention to the vampire as he shrugged his jacket off and began pulling things out of the navy blue sac.

"What did you bring today?" she asked, cocking her head and resting it on the back of her hand. His eyes still downcast and focusing on his action, Kain simply stated each item he dug out and set on the small round coffee table between them.

"A can of iced coffee-caramel flavored. Some milk teas-you can look through the flavors. Cups and plates of course. I thought we would try these red bean pastries; I've never had these ones specifically before…"

"Why do you insist on bringing sweets every night? You know, I do have to try and fall asleep after these visits," Kiku giggled, still pleased at the thought of trying new foods and drinks. Kain had made it a habit a few nights ago to make her try foods and drinks she hadn't before, as she was on a strict diet back home. She suspected it was because of her interest in his unagi, which he had let her try. Kiku had never tried eel before and though he had added salt to the unagi, she found it was really tasty. Since then she expressed her preference for sweet or salty foods and Kain had taken it upon himself to introduce her to a wide array of common Japanese dishes and a multitude of prohibited junk foods. Kiku found the noble was very sensitive to others feelings, as he never said the wrong thing and had already deducted her favorite flavors and textures. She had yet to try a refreshment that she didn't like out of the assortments Kain would bring her, and she discovered that chicken dumplings and plum onigiri were among her favorite foods now.

"I enjoy changing it up a little in my eating routines, and I can't imagine someone living in Japan without trying out all the cuisine the country has to offer," Kain's lips twitched into a small smile and Kiku thought she felt her heart skip a beat. She watched in silence as he poured the coffee into cups and placed the foods on the paper plates. It all looked very delicious and Kiku was excited for her midnight snack. Her expression turned to one of confusion however, when she observed the man filling an extra plastic bag with all of the milk teas. Kain seemed to notice her stare and explained that they were for her to take back with her. Kiku took the bag gratefully and set it on the floor next to her. She moved the book to the table and scooted to the edge of the cushion to reach the setting comfortably.

"What's your favorite food?" Kiku suddenly asked, interrupting the vampire as he put his hands together, ready to start his meal.

"Hm," he started, "Anything salty or a little spicy I guess."

The shifter remained quiet as she contemplated this and picked up her napkin and delicately laid it over her lap. The silver glint of the bracelet she wore caught Kain's eye, and he remembered that this meeker brunette form was not her real self. He suddenly thought about what a nuisance it must be to remain in a body that wasn't really her own, and how sad it must make her feel to look in the mirror or down at her hands and see someone else's skin. Without a second thought he reached across the distance separating the two and gently took her wrist in his hands.

"This will be our secret for the time being," he whispered and slid the metal chain over her slender hand, the charms tinkling together like a wind chime in a summer breeze. The girl stared at him dumbfounded for a moment, curious at what just happened. The moment was fleeting for a smile broke out on her paling face a second later and her nails and hair began to elongate and her form changed its shape. He gazed in awe at the unusual creature once again, her features striking and much more feline than he remembered. She ran her porcelain fingers generously through her contrasting strands of waves and curls, ones that were in a serious competition with his own wild hair. Though her body didn't seem much thicker, he could observe the muscle definitions that stood out against her skin in her arms and legs, and he admired the pronounced collarbone and the elegance of her neck framed by her long hair. Her breasts were smaller, but they were more pert and fitting of her body shape and size under her casual wear. The pale blue of her blouse and the dark fabric of her jeans suited her fair skin and the mix of child-like but sharp structures of her face. Kiku's thick black eye lashes fluttered open to expose the wide cat eyes that focused sincerely on the noble.

"Thank you," she sighed with relief.

Kain cleared his throat and grunted. The rest of their visit continued the same as it had the last few nights.

The bell rang signaling the end of the last class before their break. Shindo was packing her supplies into her bag when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She turned to find Yuki and her best friend Yori standing patiently behind her. "Hi Yuki-chan," Braids greeted her cheerfully. Yuki smiled brightly and Yori gifted Shindo a friendly wave with one of her small hands.

"Afternoon Nadeshika-chan! How are you?" Knowing that although Yuki was friendly, Shindo felt she wasn't one to talk to her for the normal kindly reasons. "Lovely! But I need to be off somewhere, so did you need anything?" Shindo responded, wanting to get the pleasantries out of the way.

"Oh, yes. I was wondering where Kiku was today. She doesn't usually miss a class," Yuki frowned slightly.

_Oh that, of course she would be inquiring about Kiku, _Shindo thought. Braids herself was a little worried about her roommate who had taken refuge in their bathroom this morning with no intentions of heading to class.

"She's been acting a little strange today," Shindo admitted. "She locked herself in the bathroom and wouldn't come out, claiming that she wasn't feeling well. She seemed fine yesterday, but today she just locked herself up all unexpectedly. I don't think she plans to come out either. Maybe you could talk to her?"

While she prided herself on being Kiku's first friend, Shindo knew deep down there were things Kiku confided in Yuki that she would not confide in her roommate. If anyone could help with Kiku's current problem, it was most likely Yuki Cross. The latter seemed to think something over before answering the questions-verbally asked and not-Braids posed to her.

She looked up confidently, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it all."

With a few goodbyes they all departed and went about the rest of their day.

Yuki decided to check on the shifter first before relaying her concerns to the headmaster, as there was no reason to make a big deal out of something that may actually be of little importance. However, the moment the brunette approached the door she could feel something was wrong. Yuki slid the door open soundlessly and made her way into the tidy chamber. Kiku's unmade bed stood out against the neatly organized stands and floors in the stillness of the chamber.

"Hey Kiku?" Yuki called out worried. She wasted no time exploring the grounds to the bed and then the bed itself. Yuki was rather relieved to find she wouldn't have to search the restroom as she laid eyes upon the shifter's curled up form concealed by the puffed up blankets. The girl was flushed and panting, her breath coming out in short wisps with an occasional painful sounding whimper. Yuki's worst fears took over and she ripped the blankets from Kiku's clenched fists. She grabbed Kiku's shoulder and shook her while saying her name, the apprehension evident in her harsh tones. The shifter's heavy lids rose and her watering pink eyes met with Yuki's large sienna ones.

"What is it? What's wrong?!" she questioned bringing her face down to Kiku's level. The girl lay in bed, her body endlessly shifting from one position to another and her legs rubbing themselves raw together. It occurred to Yuki that Kiku didn't seem sick. In fact she wasn't sure what was happening to the spy and the uncertainty troubled her even more. Kiku let out a light groan and opened her trembling lips to speak.

"Tell the headmaster…that I need…a room…" she breathed between each swallow of air and saliva. "I need a room where I can be...locked away…on my own…just for the… next…few days…"

Kiku managed to convey her message to the official who was busy placing her hand against the former's forehead and checking for other signs of common illness. Yuki frowned at Kiku's burning temperature but complied to her request anyway. She guaranteed the suffering creature that she would be back as soon as she was finished talking to her father and left the room swiftly.

After many hard to spit out assurances that this was a common occurrence for her and that she wasn't necessarily sick, Kiku managed to convince the shocked and confused headmaster to do as she said. Cross had to explain the situation to an unhappy Kuran and rush the shifter to an isolated chamber next to the maid's quarters in the moon dormitories. The pureblood assigned Kain and Aido to watch over her against the headmaster's instructions, his distrust getting the better of him. The maids made sure Kiku had everything she needed for the next few days and even changed her into some loose, dry clothes since the ones she had been wearing we soaked with sweat. To Kiku's dismay the maids also put her in underwear, only increasing her discomfort. There wasn't much she could do about it as it was difficult enough to keep herself controlled in the presence of others.

The maids kept away any visitors out of a motherly instinct for the first day, but they couldn't argue against the wishes of their master the day after. Luckily Kiku had managed to wait until a Friday to go into heat so she was barely going to miss a day of school. She had been allowed the freedom of her true form in her unfortunate condition, which eased the pain of her desire slightly as she writhed on the firm mattress in the drearily plain quarters. It was late in the afternoon by now, she was sure of it. Between the short bouts of sleep and infinite seconds of hot flashes and spasms she would glimpse the clock in the corner and count the hours left of her "time of the month". The last time she had checked it was nearly twelve o'clock, and it felt like hours had pasted since then. Her hands ran along the curves of her sides to soothe her quivering body, every now and then grazing a hard nipple over the shirt or squeezing the inside of a tense thigh. She feared the idea of someone walking in on such a vulgar scene which had kept her at bay this long, but it was all she could take to keep from relieving some of the pressure building and pulsing at her very core.

This was it; she couldn't hold off any longer. The help had already left her enough food and water for the day along with her supply of milk teas so she doubted anyone would intrude on her now. Closing her eyes with stubborn resolve she let her hands and arms relax and roam where they may. Her long digits found their way to the white cotton fabric of the panties the maids had forced her to wear, rubbing along the tender length of her womanhood. All else that she wore was her long men's T-shirt she had kept from Kain. Her thoughts wandered to him-the way he looked with his jacket off and his shirt slightly unbuttoned, his smooth chest peaking through the black collar. His laid back position on the seat across and sometimes adjacent from her, leaving him a little vulnerable to her emotionally. The bright green orbs of hers shone through half lidded eyes before closing again as her hand slipped beneath the infuriating cloth.

Her imagination took over, leading her back to his face. His full lips were often forming a relaxed line, but then he would begin to say something to her and they would part just scarcely first before his rich voice filled her senses. She imagined how soft they would feel against her own petite peach lips and smiled when she thought they would taste salty and spicy like his favorite food. She moaned as she stroked to the thought of him touching her, taking her face in his hands and moving against her so sweetly. Her head pressed back into the pillow and her hair stuck to the sides of her face and neck. The bite marks had healed and left faint pink scares that would disappear in time. As she pictured the noble she supposed for a moment she might not mind his slick fangs piercing her flesh as their bodies pressed together in the heat of the moment.

Kiku was so overwhelmed by her sensations she almost didn't hear the door opening and the pairs of footsteps plodding into her sanctuary. She stopped abruptly at the intrusion, which was interrupted as well at the sight of her. Kiku stared at the vampire cousins standing before her like a deer caught in the headlights. Her hands remained where they were, though they had ceased their movements. It was then that she attacked him. There was nothing she could do to help herself. It was her most primal instinct and when it took over all she could do was go along with it. The burning sensation overtook all of her ambiances and blocked out any white noise. All she could see, smell and hear was him.

It wasn't in her imagination anymore; she had taken hold of Kain dressed in his bare weekend clothes and pulled him onto her bed and tucked him beneath her firm grip. There was nothing stronger than a shape-shifter in heat Kiku had once found. It was this time every month that her master would lock her away in a large cage with whatever she needed to survive the following few days and leave her to take care of her business. Kiku figured she was lucky to have a master that was not keen to take advantage of her youth, but sometimes she wondered if there was another reason for it-one that had to do with what she was capable of during this time. Right now it didn't matter. She had him in her grasp and she wasn't going to let go as the feeling overtook her completely, causing every nerve to tingle and every sense to heighten according to the sounds, smells and movements of him.

Kain was shocked to say the least. One minute he's going to check on Kiku and the next he is pinned below her half naked figure. Aido spun on his heel and ran to get help, taking the time to shut the door behind him and shield the people passing by from witnessing the display the shifter was putting on. Kiku wasted no time tearing open the noble's button up shirt as she straddled his firm hips. Kain tried to pull her hands away or push her off but a surprising strength kept her attached to his form. The vampire stilled as the pressed her lips passionately against his throat and her hands ran across his chest and shoulders. Any protests he had spilled out as a breathy moan instead. Her mouth made its way along his jaw and down the other side of his arching neck. She placed her elbow by his head to support her as she lowered her torso and slid her bottom half down. She began to move, slowly at first, rubbing against his groin in a rocking motion. His pent up attraction pushed its way to the surface, blinding him from any logic he would normally put to use in a setting as perilous as this. Frustrated he put both large hands to Kiku's face and brought her mouth to his in a desperate kiss. Kiku felt like she was going to explode as her fantasy came true. The kiss became more heated and their breathing more heavy. Kain's hands slid along her silky skin down her arms and settled on grabbing at her waist and hips. Their motions became more frantic as the friction became more intense. Kiku let Kain flip her over and arched into him needing to feel his cool skin against hers.

She could already feel her body coming to its climax, all of the pent up tension swelling and ready to burst in one great moment. Kiku yanked at Kain's pants, pulling him against her in a sweeping movement while fumbling with the brass button. Without further thought she ripped the flap open in her haze, sending the button flying to the side and tearing the zipper open. Kain let out a grunt as he momentarily lost his balance and his face fell against the side of her throat. He settled for kissing along her jaw and neck as she struggled to pull his pants off, his boxers sliding down a little with them. The shifter let out a loud noise of approval as she ran her hands over the exposed flesh of the vampire's hips, pulling the rest of his jeans to his ankles with her talented feet. The noble's pace became too slow for her immediate frustration, so she grabbed a handful of his messy hair in one hand and pulled him back as she flipped him over to once again straddle his now bare abdomen.

Kain was caught a little off guard at her sudden roughness as she slipped her other hand into the golden red tangles and pulled. His neck was bared to her and she took full advantage-running her mouth along his soft skin and nipping at his chin and adam's apple. Kiku ground herself against his hardening cock, causing a light grunt to escape past the heavy breaths. Kain couldn't help but be turned on by the blonde's soft noises. For someone that did not care to handle him too delicately she made the most delicious sounds that were so quiet Kain was actually appreciative of his vampire senses. Somewhere in the back of his subconscious he knew his cousin was going to come back soon and with reinforcements and put an end to Kiku's "attack", but he really didn't want them to come. He hoped they could at least finish before, but it was hard to think and hope when his other brain was being distracted.

The shifter's mouth crashed against Kain's once again, only this time it was deeper, more passionate. Her thrusts became more desperate, rubbing faster and harder as their underwear slid around each other-the fabric pushing up, off and around, never really fully revealing anything or touching. Kain could tell Kiku was already close in the heat of their lust, her breaths and moans coming out higher and shorter. The vampire grabbed her ass with one hand and slipped the other into her hair, yanking her head up and bending his own mouth into the crevice of her throat. His open mouthed kisses turned into light nibbles, which became harder bites. His fangs throbbed as they elongated, his primal desire to pierce her flesh blinding all other senses though he tried to fight it nonetheless. Kiku didn't seem to mind it despite her previous experience with sharp teeth. In fact it almost seemed like she wanted him to bite her as she let her face fall and her neck press into his mouth.

The noble wrapped one arm around her head as they switched places once again, keeping one arm under her skull to keep her throat in place and using the other hand to pull her leg up to his waist as he plunged against her. Kiku arched into him, both hands clenching the shirt on his back as she reached her release with one last cry of pleasure. In that moment of bliss Kain gave into his desire and placed his fangs and tongue against her skin. Before he could sink his teeth in Kuran burst through the door, grabbed Kain by his collar and pulled him off of the twitching shifter. The pureblood stared at the noble, Kain's collar still in his grasp though his shirt had fallen off of his shoulders and was barely kept on by his elbows and Kuran. He stared at his panting friend, mouth left agape and fangs protruding, in disbelief. Kiku remained sprawled across the middle of the bed with her hands by her head and her legs still intertwined with the vampire's. Her face was flushed and her eyes lidded, her satisfaction still washing over her.

"Well I see you're well taken care of Michi," Kaname spoke through his teeth. Kain could feel his elder's wrath rolling off of him, but he didn't care. He had never felt anything like it before, and they weren't even fully naked. Kuran released Kain's shirt and stormed out of the room, stopping in the doorway to angrily whisper something at Aidou. Kain's cousin paled, nodding his head sharply and turning his fearful eyes to Akatsuki as the pureblood strode away. "We need to go now," Aidou whispered harshly at his roommate. Still flustered, Kain nodded and flopped off of the bed. He quickly zipped up his pants, shoved the button he found on the floor into his pocket, and redid two of the buttons in the middle of his shirt. He turned to leave, but then flung around and gave Kiku one last kiss before leaving. This one was gentle, almost loving and it caused Aidou to blush and turn away, his insides knotting in his gut. Kain stared into Kiku's golden green eyes, searching her expression before turning on his heel and walking swiftly out of the room, shutting the door softly behind him. Kiku placed her fingers gingerly to her tender lips, enjoying the feeling before the usual needy sensation took over again.

Outside the cousins skulked down the halls, Aidou's face that of mournful passerby in a graveyard. After minutes of silence he finally decided to speak up.

"Akatsuki, you kno-"

"I know," Kain cut in, "I'm fucked." The noble laughed at himself and his own statement. _Man, no one is going to forget this story_, Aidou followed along, even more uncertain at his cousin's sudden insanity. It was going to be a long next couple of weeks.

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><p><strong>AN**: Thanks for anyone that's been keeping with with this story. It makes me happy whenever I get an email that notifies me I have new followers, even if it takes me months to upload new chapters. You all should just know I move a lot and usually my technology is limited. This time I've been moved out on my own after we were evicted so I only ever get to work on the story when I can get a hold of my mom's computer.

So anyway, intense dry humping session yes? Haha I think I warned everyone this was coming, though it may not have been as graphic as people may have thought. It's actually my first time ever writing anything with sexual content or at least a "sex" scene. Did I do ok at it? I myself am a 19 year old virgin female who has never even been in a relationship or been officially kissed, so I only go off of my own fantasies or porn...or other stories. I did go on my first date not too long ago which was awesome! The guy actually picked me up, payed for everything, held doors and walked me to my door. Only problem is I have no desire to really see him again as he was trying to push things too fast. This date was only the second time I had even met the guy and he barely knew anything about me, especially since he doesn't listen AT ALL. It was a good first experience though, but I'm not going to have sex with the first person to wine and dine me.

Hopefully I don't take too long to write and upload the next chapter, and I've decided I'm not going to let the story go past chapter 20. I hate when stories get a little TOO long, especially when they take so long to update like I do! I did decide how it was going to end and I must say, I think it'll be a clever plot twist *evil grin for leaving you all on a cliff hanger* haha!

**Please R&R if you like the story! Even if you don't, feed back is always appreciated :) Until next time!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_Disclaimer: Refer to chapter 1_

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><p>The plump seat Kiku normally sat on in the usual meeting place felt uncomfortable this particular night in the moon dorms. All of the books ranged in different shades of reds and browns and golds seemed dull and dusty, no longer holding their usual appeal. She sat with her legs pulled up to her chest and her bare toes clutching at the edge of the rough cushion. Every now and then Kiku's brown eyes would glance up at the man poised stiffly adjacent to her, his blue eyes venomously staring back. She squirmed and tugged at her jacket collar, almost wishing she had left it in her room but equally grateful of the emotional protection it gave her from the impending inquisition on her livelihood. With a deep breath she composed herself with crossed arms and ankles up on the coffee table, her face setting into a blank expression.<p>

"So," she stated with an air of impatience.

Aido glared back seeming angry with her sudden attitude.

"What?" the idol demanded.

"You want to ask me something. I'm just giving you the opportunity to do so," a smirk playing across her lips. The amusement was evident in the flashing change of her eye color when Aido furrowed his eyebrows and gave her a growl of disgust.

"Why would you think that, bitch?"

"Look, none of you have trusted me from the start and I would be worried if you did; but I've always been honest. I'm an open book," Kiku's posture loosened as she tried to have a sincere conversation with the vampire. His chin only lifted in response, his barriers higher than ever.

"Plus I basically fucked your cousin, so you've got to have something to say."

She practically mumbled that last part under her breath knowing it could be an icebreaker or it would be what did her in. Such a comment was out of uncharacteristic of her but she was so on edge around Aido it felt like her best defense. The comment definitely struck his interest though, as he whipped his head back in her direction, his stare even sharper than before.

"What do you want with him?" his question attacked her through his clenched teeth and reverberated through the space between them. Kiku was glad he was deciding to keep his distance as she was scared of what would happen should he decide to get closer.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. Why him? Are you playing with him? What are you doing to him?" Aido had on his best 'don't fuck around with me' face, one Yuki was faintly acquainted with.

"I'm not playing him. I'm not trying to do anything to him," Kiku averted her eyes as a strange emotion filled them.

"Tell me the truth. You've had your sights set on him since you arrived. What are you planning?"

"Nothing, I swear. I just-I just like him ok?" Kiku's cheeks flushed slightly.

One moment Kiku was staring down at her knees as she struggled with the conflicting emotions clouding her reasoning and the next she was staring into the cold eyes of Kain's cousin, his hand locked firmly on her jaw. He searched her expression, an odd calm overcoming his façade much like that of Kuran's usual state. It was frightening. Kiku knew she could fight him but something held her back, possibly the uncertainty of coming out only slightly scathed, allowing Aido to bruise her where his fingers steadily dug in.

"Don't play with me you pretentious brat. What possible vindication could something like you have for liking my cousin besides your mission here? You are here a for a reason and he seems to be a part of it," he whispered harshly. His brow furrowed as he continued to drill his gaze into her eyes like he was searching her core for answers; however the unveiled thoughts and emotions welling up through those big unnerved irises made his gut knot with ambiguity. The shifter had let all of her guards down and seemed inexplicably authentic.

"I-I…I'm not supposed to like him," she stuttered, "I'm not...s-supposed to like a-a-anyone...but I can't help how I f-feel about Aka-katsuki." Kiku's lips began to waiver unexpectedly taking even her by surprise while hot watery pearls slowly rolled down her unblemished cheeks, her sudden change of state shocking the man grasping her face. He let go and took a step back-his anger developing into befuddlement. A swirl of feelings took their place in Aido's heart , seizing his chest and forcing him to wonder if she was really the bad guy everyone believed her to be.

A small 'why?' seeped under his muddled breath. Ignoring the throbbing along her jaw Kiku dropped her face away from the vampire and gracefully brought herself to her feet and swung around to the back of the chair in one step and fluid motion. Her cool hands rested on the top of the wooden frame while she determined to avoid the clashing instinct and logic playing across Aido's countenance. Moments that proceeded like centuries swept by the two still figures, both frigid and drooping with some form of incomprehensible defeat. The shifter, who had been leaning closer to the steady chair gradually supporting more of her weight, peeked through the fallen strands of mousy hair hanging in her vision towards the equally overwhelmed nobel. She realized he had been staring at her, or rather through her, that entire time while spaced out as he tried to sort through the turmoil inside.

Kiku's own sentiments were being challenged by the present change of events and her collision of interests that happened despite the hard wiring that went into her training and earlier mentalities. The lack of understanding and preparedness had landed her in a rut like driving into the middle of a desert alone without food or water. Stranger still, Kiku had never felt so full of affections as she had before; she was lonelier with her beloved master than she felt surrounded by these near strangers that hated everything about her. Kiku was suddenly struck by an unshakeable revelation: maybe it wasn't her that they despised at all. What if it was just the dubiousness of her existence in their boundaries that made them side with more distasteful ideas and actions than the desire to know her. They feared her intent more than they did her person-a fact which any individual involved in this scheme was aware of. She wondered why she couldn't realize it before, always plunging head first using her ambitions instead of grasping the reality of her relationship with the members of Cross Academy.

She had always known she wasn't supposed to be friendly with the students and she definitely wasn't supposed to develop feelings for someone special; but despite all the warnings of her subconscious and ideals instilled into her from childhood she had fallen for a major player on the opposite team leading her to blindly befriend whoever eased along the side lines that would tolerate her in hopes of further ingraining herself in their world and most importantly, his life. Kiku knew she had been acting selfish and stupid, much like a child trying to get their way without really knowing what they want. The shifter straightened with renewed passion-cursing herself for reveling in her ignorance and forgiving herself for the mistake, albeit too soon.

"I love Akatsuki," the words burst from her lips and lept off her tongue like the taste of chilled watermelon on a breezy hot summer afternoon. She had never felt such a relief as her shoulders suddenly lightened. Aido froze more than should be possible, resembling the ice he controlled with not even a flash of shock crossing his face-though Kiku guessed he was in a stupefaction. The air in her lungs seized as she waited for some form of response, feeling patient and calm though anxiety quietly crept up like a fire from her belly. It's not like it was the first time she confessed this fact to him, but it was the first time she had worded it so strongly and announced with so much confidence. Aido was finding it hard to deny her feelings for his cousin-he had seen the connection they had from the moment they laid eyes on each other even when Kiku was in such a bewildered state. Perplexed, the thought about how Kain would feel about her declaration abruptly brought on the creeping suspicion that Kiku's feelings would be well received.

The glint of silver caught Aido's attention as Kiku fidgeted with her hands, twiddling her thumbs. In one smooth stride the noble positioned himself directly in front of shifter and the chair, swiftly grasping her wrist and yanking the charms off. He had to see her in her true form, to know the truth and to feel the confirmation he needed so desperately that could only come from within her purest of shapes. With an incredulous gaze the brunette snapped into her original being as Aido watched on in amazement. He had a feeling he would never get used to her ability even though he had such impossible powers of his own. Bright green pooled into her eye whites and revealed themselves almost innocently. Barely a pencil line of a pupil sliced down through the middle before expanding into a canyon of black in a grass field. It was always those peepers that determined everything with a silent conviction, being both soulfully expressive and yet so contrary to both her appearance and animus. She was far from perfect and so much more fragile than strong, but her purpose was a driving force in her messy little world. Her amorous devotion to Kain and her yearning for acceptance and a sense of belonging shined true while her affection and loyalty to her master lurked in the shadows of the thick lashes lowered in protection. It was unmistakably clear that she would never be someone they could fully trust as her allegiance would always be an unpredictable factor. However the chances of her switching sides, cutting ties, and becoming a valid companion to their underground community loosely based on the chance of returned affections from his cousin theoretically outweighed the possibility of the elven-like girl becoming a further threat.

Kiku remained still, anticipating a potential outlash but fantasizing about a very unrealistic truce. To her surprise Aido seemed to physically relax, letting his shoulders slump a little back into his usual casual stance. Even calm the noble retained a more regal posture. Furrowed eyebrows softened and blue irises glazed over with hazy resolve. He gently tossed the bracelet onto the stiff mahogany shaded cushions and slid his frozen hands into the white pockets of his slacks.

"I am going to ask, as Kain's cousin and friend, that you stay away from him," he stated monotonously while averting his eyes from her pale demeanor.

"But," he added alongside narrowed lids, "if you won't do it for my sake or your own, then do it for his. You will only bring him trouble."

The shifter's lips parted in protest but only a sigh could escape in response as his words sunk in and her thoughts shifted to consider his plea. Only Aido's icy blues moved as they rolled into the corners to see in her direction. His head remained tilted to the side and a weak smirk twitched at the edges of his lips revealing small amount of fangs before he twisted around and began a leisurely walk out of the room.

"Remember," Aido threw over his shoulder, "if you harm Akatsuki or anyone else in the academy, I will personally pay you nice cold visit." Kiku listened as his footsteps grew fainter and fainter, even after he was long out of sight. She hung her head as her mind ran wild with a sad sense of discord. Aido's threat barely resonated compared to his previous request. It may be essential to her own survival during the next week, but was it really necessary for Kain's happiness? Kiku laid her chin on her hands, balancing her weight between her feet and the back of the chair with a distant look softly flooding her outward expression. Aido quietly walked down the halls going nowhere in particular as he ran a handful of long digits through the sides of his golden locks before covering his mouth with the same palm. The walls echoed lightly as night engulfed his wandering form.

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><p><strong>AN:** This felt a lot longer when I was writing it. Anyway I'm really sorry for such a long wait and short update. I'll try to get the next one up sooner, though there's a lot going on so I can't really make any solid promises. Just know I am not done and I will not stop updating until the story is complete!

Thank you for reading and please review :)


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